Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.straitstimes.com
KOLKATA – Tamil movie star Vijay Sethupathi is set to make history in New York at the 54th International Emmy Awards, as one of several presenters when the winners are announced on Nov 23.
The event also has a festival leg, where nominees will gather in New York from Nov 20 to 22 for the International Emmy World Television Festival. It includes a welcome cocktail, nominee panels and presentations.
India at the 2026 Emmys
Indian works are in the 2026 race too. The International Academy named 64 nominees across 16 categories from 22 countries – including Indian Netflix special, Vir Das: Fool Volume, and Sony LIV show Real Kashmir Football Club.
It will not be the first time that Indian entries have appeared in the running for the International Emmy awards. In 2020, television show Delhi Crime won the best drama series award, while the first season of thriller Sacred Games was nominated in 2019.
Sethupathi’s latest film
Sethupathi’s most recent role was in Tamil comedy Baththa, a critically acclaimed film about the moral redemption of a gangster directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan.
The director has called him a muse. He has compared the actor to “Tom Hanks, not Tom Cruise”, referring to the actor’s warm and relatable rather than flashy nature.
Films lined up
Two big projects are next. Sethupathi will appear in Mani Ratnam’s Inji Vellam, alongside Sai Pallavi, who is also part of the Ramayana cast this season.
He will also be seen in Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Pocket Novel, with Raj B Shetty and Malavika Mohanan. Both films add to a busy slate.
The Maharaja effect
Sethupathi’s 2024 action drama Maharaja has taken a new turn. The actor recently confirmed that the film is heading to Hollywood for an American remake. He also said a sequel is in development.
He had said earlier that he would act in the Hollywood remake for free. The comment drew wide attention online.
The film’s second life began in China, where it grossed 916 million rupees (S$12.4 million) in theatres and did well on streaming. That success drew interest from abroad.
A Hollywood agency has since acquired the remake rights. Few Tamil films have gone this route.
Past hosts and format
The awards ceremony usually has a well-known host: Vir Das led the 2024 gala, while Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos hosted the Nov 24, 2025 edition.
Presenters hand out awards across programme and performance categories. The Academy has not shared the full list of 2026 presenters in the report. More names will come out before the gala.
