New Delhi: Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi is set to become the first Indian to present an award at the 54th International Emmy Awards, scheduled to take place in New York on 23 November.
Producer Kavita Gupta, a board member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which organises the International Emmy Awards, played a key role in bringing Sethupathi to the ceremony. Gupta was also instrumental in getting comedian and actor Vir Das to host the 52nd edition in 2024, making him the first Indian to host the awards, reported The Hollywood Reporter India.
Sethupathi’s appearance comes at a time when Indian cinema is finding greater recognition internationally. At the 2024 ceremony, Das made history as the first Indian host, but he had already received his first Emmy in 2023 for his comedy special Vir Das: Landing and his Netflix comedy special Vir Das: Fool Volume (2025) earned him a nomination in the Best Comedy Series category.
Sethupathi will not be the only Indian presence at this year’s ceremony. Two Indian productions have also secured nominations at the 54th International Emmy Awards.
SonyLIV’s Real Kashmir Football Club (2025-) has been nominated in the Best Drama Series category. The series, directed by Mahesh Mathai and Rajesh Mapuskar, features Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Manav Kaul.
The actor first gained wider attention with films such as Pizza (2012) and Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012). He established himself with projects including Soodhu Kavvum (2013), Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (2014) and Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015).
He also won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Super Deluxe (2019).
Over the years, Sethupathi has also become a familiar face in films outside Tamil cinema. He played the antagonist in Rajinikanth’s Petta (2019), Vijay’s Master (2021), Kamal Haasan’s Vikram (2022) and Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan (2023). His other Hindi projects include Mumbaikar (2023) and Merry Christmas (2024). He also appeared in the web series Farzi (2023) alongside Shahid Kapoor.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)