CAN BOX-OFFICE KING VIJAY RULE THE BALLOT BOX?

The political novice is looking to take on the DMK and AIADMK which have ruled Tamil Nadu since 1967

- Kalyan Subramani

TVK leader Joseph Vijay Chandrashekar during a public meeting in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, on 25 November 2023.

After Tamil Nadu witnessed a political storm in 2017, when the then-ruling AIADMK started breaking apart following the death of its leader and chief minister J. Jayalalithaa the previous December, things had settled into an uneasy status quo.

That changed on 2 February 2024, when Tamil film star Joseph Vijay Chandrashekar, then 50 years old, announced the formation of his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). In doing so, he joined the long list of Tamil film stars who have sought a political career on the heels of a successful movie career.

Nearly two years on, veteran politicians and seasoned election observers are still wondering whether the box-office wunderkind's entry into politics will trigger an upheaval in the state's political landscape.

Intentionally or otherwise, Vijay is a political enigma. His entry into politics was not anticipated by the Dravidian establishment or the local media, but neither was it a big surprise. Not just actors, some of the state's tallest leaders, such as C.N. Annadurai, founder of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and his successor, M. Karunanidhi, had strong links to the film industry as writers. Both went on to become chief minister.

Despite his massive box-office popularity, Vijay is expected to, at best, create a third front, an alternative to the two Dravidian parties that have ruled over Tamil Nadu since 1967. The Tamil Nadu state assembly election is due in April-May this year.

As with his movies, Vijay is keen to go it alone and may accept alliance partner(s) only if he can continue to be the star or first among equals, in any potential pre-election arrangement, say observers.

So, just who is this political greenhorn taking on some of the wiliest career politicians in Tamil Nadu, and maybe even the country?