Vijay Deverakonda on Adding ‘The': ‘I just wanted to be known by my name'

Time of India

09-07-2025

Vijay Deverakonda addressed the controversy surrounding his decision to add 'The' to his name. He revealed that it stemmed from a desire to avoid restrictive taglines like "Southern Sensation" and to be recognized simply as Vijay Deverakonda throughout India. The actor emphasized that "The" was a subtle way to stand out without limiting his identity, even if it sparked criticism.
Vijay Deverakonda
had added the prefix 'The' to his name some time ago. But it continues to stir plenty of conversation. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Tollywood heartthrob spoke about how the prefix came about and why he felt no need for a grand tagline.
'There was a crazy amount of backlash just because I added 'The'. What's funny is, everyone else has taglines. People younger than me, older than me, even those who debuted before me use them. I was probably the only one without one,' he said.
He explained that during Liger promotions, his team encouraged him to adopt a tagline, especially since the media had already coined labels like 'Southern Sensation' and 'Rowdy Star' for him.
'But none of those felt right. Southern Sensation felt limiting. I'm from India, and I want to be known across the country. All those tags felt restrictive. So I said, I just want to be known as Vijay Deverakonda. And if you really need a tag, 'The' is enough — nothing more,' he recalled.
The choice, he admitted, didn't go down well with everyone. 'People reacted like, 'How can you call yourself The?' And I was like — that's the whole point. I don't want a tag. If even 'The' feels like too much for people, I don't need anything beyond my name. Vijay Deverakonda is enough.'
-TNN