When Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar walked away from one of Indian cinema’s most lucrative careers to launch a political party, many called it romantic recklessness. Two years later, the man his fans call Thalapathy — “Commander” — has delivered one of the most stunning electoral upsets in Tamil Nadu’s history, emerging as the single largest party in the 234-seat Assembly. Vijay will take oath of the Chief Minister’s office today (May 9) at around 11 am.
Vijay was practically born into cinema. The son of veteran Tamil director SA Chandrasekhar, he made his screen debut as a child actor in the film ‘Vetri’ in 1984. Vijay was just nine years old at the time. He appeared in several more of his father’s productions through the late 1980s. His adult debut came in 1992 with ‘Naalaiya Theerpu’ but for several years success eluded him. The roles came, but the stardom did not.
The turning point arrived in 1996 with Poove Unakkaga, a love story that transcended religious divides and earned him a devoted following across Tamil Nadu. Films like Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1998) and Thullatha Manamum Thullum (1999) cemented his image as the romantic hero of the masses, even building him a fanbase in neighbouring Kerala.
Why did the Tamil Nadu Governor halt Vijay’s victory run? What does the Supreme Court previous ruling says
Masala king of Kollywood
It was ‘Thirumalai’ in 2003 that permanently reshaped Vijay’s screen persona — from charming romantic lead to full-throttle action hero. Over the next two decades, he became the defining star of the Tamil commercial film industry, a genre unto himself. His 2012 film Thuppakki, directed by A. R. Murugadoss, became the third Tamil film ever to gross over ₹100 crore domestically. Blockbuster after blockbuster followed — Kaththi, Mersal, Bigil, Beast, Leo, GOAT — each a mass spectacle that sold out theatres across South India and in Tamil diaspora communities worldwide.
His films were never just entertainment. From Mersal’s thinly-veiled critique of GST policy to Kaththi’s swipes at corporate farming, Vijay consistently used the big screen to telegraph political sympathies, building what was effectively a parallel political constituency through cinema.
From fan club to political ground zero
Long before TVK, the All India Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI) — his fan club turned people’s movement — had quietly built political infrastructure across Tamil Nadu. In the 2022 local body elections, VMI members contesting on their own won 115 out of 169 seats contested, a result that stunned establishment parties and signalled that Vijay’s reach extended far beyond the multiplex.
His own father, SA Chandrasekhar, had tried to formalise this into a registered political party in 2020. Vijay publicly rejected and fought in court against this at the time.
The Leap: Launching TVK
On February 2, 2024, Vijay made it official. He announced the launch of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) — the Victory Party of Tamilakam — rooted in secularism, social justice and communal harmony. The party was formally registered with the Election Commission of India on September 8, 2024.
In a campaign speech in October 2024, Vijay told a crowd what many suspected but few expected to hear so directly: “I have thrown away the peak of my career and I have thrown away the salary.” It was a declaration of irreversible intent and his supporters received it as a covenant.
TVK’s political platform focused on youth employment, women’s welfare, education loans, MSP for farmers and fisherfolk rights. These issues resonated deeply in a state where the political conversation had long been dominated by two entrenched parties.
Tragedy on the campaign trail
On September 27, 2025, a catastrophic stampede at a TVK political rally in Karur killed 41 people and left over 80 injured. It was one of the deadliest political event tragedies in Tamil Nadu’s modern history. Vijay condoled the deaths, announced ex-gratia payments to the families of the deceased and faced intense scrutiny over crowd management at TVK events. It was a sobering reminder of the weight of political mobilisation at scale.
ALSO READTamil Nadu’s kingmakers – How Vijay allied with Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and VCK for 10 seats
Blockbuster electoral debut
When votes were counted on May 4, Tamil Nadu witnessed a political earthquake. TVK emerged as the single largest party in the state Assembly, capturing approximately 35% of the vote share in its very first election. The young party dismantled the decades-long duopoly of DMK and AIADMK. Vijay himself contested from two constituencies — Perambur and Trichy East — and won both.
Vijay’s journey, from a child actor in his father’s films to the man commanding Tamil Nadu’s largest vote block at 51, is, by any measure, extraordinary. The political infrastructure he has built in just two years is real, the mandate he has earned is undeniable and the era he has inaugurated in Tamil Nadu politics will outlast any single election result.
</p> |
