On Tuesday, following the unexpected outcome of the Tamil Nadu elections, where Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) claimed victory, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma shared an old, rare image of the young actor on social media platform X.
The image featured M. Karunanidhi at what seems to be a film event, prominently positioned in the foreground, with a young Vijay barely visible in the background. Varma’s post included the caption: “Kalaignar wouldn’t have dreamed that the kid behind him would one day destroy his party.”
The tweet quickly gained traction, and the context was clear. TVK had secured 108 seats in its inaugural election on Monday, emerging as the predominant party in Tamil Nadu. In contrast, the DMK, previously led by Karunanidhi for nearly fifty years, managed to win only 59 seats. Notably, M.K. Stalin, the outgoing Chief Minister and Karunanidhi’s son, lost his own constituency. This marked the end of the longstanding political duopoly that had dominated Tamil Nadu since the late 1980s, ushering in a new era with a party led by a film star.
To fully grasp the significance of Varma’s photograph, one must recognize what the DMK represented in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. Karunanidhi took the helm of the DMK in 1969, serving until his passing in August 2018. A former screenwriter for Tamil cinema, he possessed a profound understanding of the film industry and its cultural impact. Throughout his political career, he was elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu five times over various decades. Under his leadership, the DMK became a cornerstone of the Dravidian political movement, significantly influencing Tamil identity and governance since the 1960s.
After Karunanidhi’s death, his son M.K. Stalin assumed leadership of the party, guiding it to a decisive victory in the 2021 assembly elections. He became Chief Minister that year and spent the following five years at the helm of governance. As the 2026 elections approached, the DMK entered as the incumbent, equipped with resources, experience, established voter connections, and a rich historical legacy.
Vijay announced the formation of TVK on February 2, 2024. With nearly three decades as a leading figure in Tamil cinema, his transition into politics was met with both intrigue and skepticism. The phenomenon of actors entering politics is not novel in Tamil Nadu; however, the approach taken by Vijay was distinctive.
Instead of aligning TVK with an established coalition for security, Vijay opted to contest all 234 constituencies independently. This meant no seat-sharing agreements, no reliance on existing political frameworks, and no safety net from seasoned allies. Every victory for TVK would be attributed solely to its own efforts.
Vijay’s father, S.A. Chandrasekhar, was a prominent director and producer in Tamil cinema, which likely explains the young Vijay’s presence at an industry event where Karunanidhi was a guest of honor. The realms of Tamil cinema and politics have long been intertwined, and Karunanidhi navigated both worlds with ease throughout his life. An event featuring Karunanidhi would have been considered routine, and a filmmaker’s son blending into the crowd would have been equally unremarkable. At the time, few could have predicted the significance of that moment for either individual or for the political landscape of Tamil Nadu in the years to come.
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