Tamil Nadu’s political history is deeply rooted in cinema. Icons such as M. G. Ramachandran and his protégé J. Jayalalithaa transitioned from superstardom to political dominance, serving as chief ministers. Similarly, C. N. Annadurai, a pioneering scriptwriter, and M. Karunanidhi, a celebrated poet and writer, rose through the ranks of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to lead the state multiple times.
Vijay, now 51, has formally entered this tradition with the launch of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, in February 2024. Declaring politics as a “sacred service,” he emphasized that it is not a profession or hobby but a long-term commitment. On the same day, he announced that his film “Jana Nayagan (People’s Leader),” originally referred to as Thalapathy 69, would be his final cinematic venture. The film remains pending clearance from the Censor Board.
According to Axis My India, Vijay’s party could secure up to 120 seats, positioning him as a potential successor to the legacy of M. G. Ramachandran. However, exit polls in India have historically been prone to inaccuracies, leaving the final outcome uncertain.
Vijay will contest from Perambur and Tiruchi East, with his party advocating a model of people-centric governance. The party asserts its commitment to representing citizens “as one among the people,” while firmly rejecting alliances with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, describing them as ideological adversaries.
The actor’s political journey has been gradual. His extensive fan base, organized into approximately 85,000 clubs, was consolidated in 2009 into the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam, initially a welfare association. The organization later entered electoral politics by supporting the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance in the 2011 Assembly election. This strategy mirrored the approach of M. G. Ramachandran, who transformed his fan clubs into political units.
Vijay’s cinematic work has also been interpreted as laying the groundwork for his political entry. From addressing farmers’ distress in Kaththi to exposing healthcare corruption in Mersal, advocating women’s empowerment in Bigil, and highlighting electoral malpractice in Sarkar, his films increasingly projected a socially conscious image. Analysts attribute this trajectory partly to the influence of his father, filmmaker S. A. Chandrasekhar.
In 2020, a political move by his father to register Vijay Makkal Iyakkam as a party led to internal discord, with Vijay publicly distancing himself from the initiative. The organization was eventually dissolved after legal disputes. Nonetheless, its cadres contested local body elections in 2021, winning 115 out of 169 seats, signaling emerging grassroots strength.
Vijay’s political intent has also been evident through public interventions, including his support for fishermen in Nagapattinam over Sri Lankan Tamil issues and his response to the death of a medical aspirant during protests against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test in 2017.
However, his leadership has faced scrutiny. A major setback occurred during a rally in Karur last September, where a stampede resulted in 41 deaths, including 11 children. Vijay departed the venue immediately after his speech and addressed the incident only three days later through a video statement. Families of the deceased were later brought to Chennai under controlled conditions, raising questions about transparency and crisis management.
Further controversy emerged in February when his wife initiated divorce proceedings, alleging abusive behavior and infidelity, adding a personal dimension to his public challenges.
Despite these setbacks, Vijay retains strong support among younger voters, particularly Generation Z, many of whom are disillusioned with established Dravidian parties. His party’s manifesto targets key voter groups, including youth, women, and fishermen. It proposes a minimum support price for selected fish varieties, financial assistance during fishing ban periods, subsidized fuel, insurance, and housing. Education loans up to Rs 25 lakh without collateral and expanded welfare measures for women, including free cooking gas cylinders and increased financial aid, form central components of his policy platform.
Unlike actors such as Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, and Vijayakanth, whose political ventures faced limited success, Vijay has entered politics at the peak of his film career. His ambitions echo the rapid rise of N. T. Rama Rao, who founded the Telugu Desam Party in 1982 and became chief minister within months.
As Tamil Nadu awaits the election results on May 4, Vijay’s political experiment stands as a critical test of whether cinematic influence can once again reshape the state’s political landscape. His call for a “whistle revolution,” symbolized by his party’s election emblem, now faces its ultimate moment of truth.
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