In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, hero-worship is taken literally. Towering cut-outs of film stars are often drenched in offerings of milk by devout followers, and such idols frequently become political leaders. What is unusual, however, is the speed at which Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar — known universally as Vijay — has gone from silver-screen hero to chief minister of the entire state, having launched his political party less than two years ago.
Stunning Election Victory
Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), won 108 of the 234 seats in Tamil Nadu's state election results announced this week. He was sworn in as chief minister on Sunday morning after agreeing a coalition government with the Congress party. This victory abruptly ended nearly 50 years of dominance by the two major regional parties, the DMK and AIADMK, which follow similar Dravidian ideologies championing social justice and regional autonomy while opposing Narendra Modi's BJP.
Vijay also opposes the BJP but mirrors its successful core pledge to improve lives through rapid economic growth. He has promised to turn Tamil Nadu into a $1.5 trillion economy over the next decade.
From Screen to State
Tamil Nadu has a long history of screen icons leveraging their appeal to build political careers, including MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa, and M Karunanidhi, all of whom served as chief ministers. Vijay, known as Thalapathy or “leader” by his fans, was seen as an outsider riding a wave of public dissatisfaction with outgoing chief minister MK Stalin. Stalin even lost his own seat in the DMK stronghold of Kolathur to a TVK candidate.
“Despite its welfare schemes, the DMK government was plagued by dynastic rule, rampant corruption, poor service delivery, and law and order issues,” said Kannan Rajarathinam, author and political analyst, adding that its economic pitch “failed to touch the aspirational youth, a majority of whom had to look for jobs outside the state.”
Vijay, in contrast, “is a superstar who quit acting for a public career,” Rajarathinam told The Independent. “He is younger and communicates easily.” This explains why Vijay succeeded where other popular actors, like Kamal Haasan, failed.
Building a Political Machine
Vijay translated his massive fan base into a structured party following, charming women voters with welfare promises and appealing to youth to convince their parents. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition, declared that Vijay's victory “reflects the rising voice of youth, which cannot, and will not, be ignored.”
Vijay’s onscreen persona — built around the incorruptible, justice-dispensing angry young man — read less like a character and more like an extended political proposition. He appealed to the working class by playing an unemployed youth, a fisherman, a baker, and an honest police officer in his films, though some drew criticism for glorifying the male saviour figure.
His 2018 film Sarkar saw Vijay step into electoral politics, highlighting voter fraud and manipulation. Although he launched TVK formally only in 2024 after quitting acting, he had begun mobilising workers decades ago. His fan clubs were consolidated into Vijay Makkal Iyakkam in 2009, initially framed as a welfare network, gradually building local presence through relief work and civic interventions.
Campaign Innovation
Vijay positioned Modi’s BJP as his ideological adversary and the DMK as the immediate electoral rival. Analysts say voter fatigue with the entrenched DMK-AIADMK duopoly played a key role. “Voters under 40 saw hope in the newcomer and chose to challenge the status quo,” said Rajarathinam.
His campaign endured restrictions after at least 41 people were killed in a crowd crush at one of his rallies last year. Undeterred, he moved online, turning 85,000 fan clubs into “virtual warriors” using holograms, virtual rallies, and AI to target youth and first-time voters. He urged young voters to help their “Vijay mama” by convincing their parents. “It worked because people trust content from friends and family rather than direct brand messaging,” said Hariharan Gandhi, a digital marketing specialist.
Promises and Challenges
Vijay’s campaign promises included welfare commitments: eight grams of gold to women at marriage, monthly cash transfers of Rs 2,500 (£20) to women heads of households until age 60, a “baby welcome kit,” free bus travel, and six free LPG cylinders annually per family. Industrialists worry these measures may dent state coffers despite Tamil Nadu’s nearly 11% economic growth last year.
People may see Vijay as a new hope, but he now faces the burden of delivery without tested policy or governance experience. The people of Tamil Nadu await both the release of Vijay’s last film, Jana Nayagan, and a new dawn in governance.
