Vijay Sethupathi donates Rs 1.3 crore to support housing for film industry workers

In 2010, during the tenure of the Kalaignar government, residential plots were allocated to members of the film industry in Payyanur, near Chennai. However, as houses were not constructed within the stipulated three-year period, the government order (GO) was subsequently revoked. Following repeated appeals from the film fraternity to reinstate the allocation, the government has now issued a new GO, reviving the initiative. Regarding this development, RK Selvamani, the President of the South Indian Film Employees Federation (FEFSI), addressed the media, stating, “Our organization consists of 25,000 members, of whom 21,000 do not own homes and either live on rent in Chennai or commute from outside the city. We conveyed this to the Tamil Nadu government, emphasizing that film industry workers typically have a 12-hour work schedule. Additionally, those commuting from outside the city spend nearly four hours in travel, making it a challenging 16-hour workday for many.
We are set to begin the construction of 1,000 residential units in Payyanur in the first phase. Though the groundwork had already started earlier, it was put on hold due to the lack of an official government order. Now, we plan to complete the work within a month and have requested the Deputy Chief Minister to inaugurate the project, to which he has agreed. We extend our gratitude to our key supporters.
As part of this initiative, each 500-square-foot unit requires an investment of Rs 2.5 lakh per member. Some members are unable to afford the costs, and we have reached out to prominent actors, producers, and music artists for support. In response, actor Vijay Sethupathi has generously donated Rs 1.30 crore, covering Rs 50,000 each for 250 members according to Nakkheeran. His contribution will be directly credited to the accounts of the selected members. As a token of appreciation, we have decided to name the first residential tower ‘Vijay Sethupathi Tower.’ A total of six towers will be constructed, and we urge other well-established actors to contribute towards the remaining five towers.”