Recently, the internet was shocked when a video surfaced of Tamil actor-dancer Japan Kumar running a food stall. The modest stall and the Vijay and Ajith Kumar co-star sweating it out through the day invited speculation if he wasn’t getting any work. Some pitied him while others argued for the dignity of labour. But his wife, Jyothi, sets the record straight with Hindustan Times.
The video of Japan Kumar that started it all
The viral video shows Kumar working at Sakthi Veetu Saapadu, or Shakthi Home Foods, in Vadapalani, Chennai. Dressed in a simple T-shirt, with spectacles on and a vermillion dotting his forehead, the actor-dancer is seen serving food to waiting customers. The voiceover notes how Kumar once worked with the best in the film industry but is now supposedly running a food stall. The video spread everywhere from X and Instagram to Reddit.
One X (formerly Twitter) user who re-posted the video felt sad for his supposed ‘condition’. A Redditor even called it a ‘sad reality’. While some agreed that the Tamil film industry seemed fickle, others argued that there was nothing to feel sorry for. “What’s wrong with him working on his own?” wrote one, while another argued, “First off, drop this mentality, da… What’s wrong with doing any job without ruining someone else’s life?” One Redditor questioned, “The video spread everywhere from X and Instagram to Reddit.”
Japan Kumar’s wife sets the record straight
Kumar could not speak to HT directly due to union rules, but his wife, Jyothi Kumar, was more than happy to set the record straight. She clarifies that the shop doesn’t even belong to Kumar; it belongs to his brother. “The food stall belongs to his brother. When he’s not shooting and is in town, he helps him out at the shop. Whenever he’s free, he tends to help his brother. Someone took a video of him doing that, and it went viral,” says Jyothi, putting an end to speculation. Kumar hasn’t released a statement.
For the unversed, Japan Kumar has worked with stars like Vijay, Ajith Kumar, Silambarasan TR aka Simbu, and R Madhavan. He starred in films such as Saamy, Pokkiri, Varalaru, Veeram, Mulla and Gurkha. Through his career, Kumar has also worked closely with choreographers-dancers such as Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram, Raghava Lawrence, Dinesh, Sreedhar, Kalyan, and Johnny. Kumar was a household name in the 90s and early 2000s for his energetic dances, comic timing, and lively expressions.
