Vijay's rising star vs the rising sun

With TN polls round the corner, all eyes are on whether newcomer TVK can unsettle political dynamics in the state. Shine Jacob reports

- Shine Jacob reports

Tamil cinema has entertained audiences for decades with flashy music, grand frames, high-octane action, and larger-than-life heroes.

Moreover, unlike most parts of India, cinema and politics in the state are deeply intertwined — often making the real world echo the reel world.

As the state gears up for Assembly elections in the coming months, campaign topics have already spilled beyond traditional politics — stretching from controversies over the release of Vijay's "last" film Jana Nayagan, the Thirupparankundram temple-dargah dispute, concerns over rising debt, and even geopolitical issues such as the tariffs imposed by the United States.

Traditionally, state politics used to revolve around two Dravidian parties — the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which leads the INDIA bloc in the state, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the main partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

However, for the first time in years, the two Dravidian powers are facing opposition from a largely untested political startup: The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (popularly known as 'Thalapathy' Vijay), and launched in October 2024.

TVK's rallies are gaining considerable traction, with multiple surveys indicating that the party may get anywhere close to or above 20 percent of the vote share, eating into all other political parties. This signifies that there was negligible impact on Vijay's popularity following the Karur stampede that had resulted in the loss of 41 lives.