Vijay's father SA Chandrasekhar introduced him as 'Ilaya Thalapathy' (Young Commander) to position him as a rising mass hero in Tamil cinema. In the 90s, 'Thalapathy', translating to 'Commander', was associated with DMK leader M Karunanidhi and superstar Rajinikanth. In 2017, director Atlee dropped 'Ilaya' prefix for Vijay in first-look poster of 'Mersal', cementing his identity as 'Thalapathy'.