How Vijay scripted history at Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026: Films, activism, controversies
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Vijay's win the TN polls is historic
If one looks closely, Vijay's exhaustive filmography has served as the groundwork for his political career. Vijay's win is being seen as a historic moment in Tamil Nadu politics with many comparing him to MGR.
Every election season, lines blur between cinema and politics in India. A trend that began in South India has now permeated other parts of the country, where political parties field cinema artists as candidates for the upcoming elections. The Assembly Elections 2026 will be remembered as the year when Joseph Vjay Chandrasekhar became the star of Tamil Nadu politics. For decades, Vijay - ‘Ilaya Thalapathy’ or ‘Thalapathy’ to his fans- has enjoyed stardom and adulation thanks to his blockbuster films. And now, Vijay will begin a new chapter in his career and join the likes of MG Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa as he and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerge as strong winners of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026.
The film star has never been devoid of attention and adulation. For over three decades, Vijay has been part of the Tamil film industry and has given several blockbuster hits. Fans have witnessed his evolution from a box office superstar to an actor speaking of social change through his films and his foray into politics with the launch of TVK. The past six months have been particularly difficult for the actor, first with his last film Jana Nayagan facing certification roadblocks and a release delay and then news of divorce and alleged affair with actress Trisha Krishnan dominating headlines more than his portfolio and election campaign. But he remained undeterred throughout his political campaign, making him first a strong contender and then a winner in the 2026 Assembly Elections.
Early Beginnings
Born to filmmaker SA Chandrasekhar and his singer wife Shoba Chandrasekhar, Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar grew up in a multi-religion household. His father is a Christian and his mother a Hindu. His early years at Chennai’s Loyola College, studying visual communication, helped pave the way for him in cinema. The actor reportedly dropped out of college to pursue acting and made his debut in 1992.
Vijay was always familiar with cinema thanks to his filmmaker father and featured in several films as a child actor in his father’s films before making his debut as a lead hero in Naalaiya Theerpu. Vijay was 18 when he was cast as the leading man in the film, which failed at the box office. The debutant received severe criticism for his looks and performance.
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SAC decided then to cast him alongside an established hero, and his frequent collaborator Vijayakanth, in Senthoorapandi (1993). The film was a hit, helping Vijay get popular among the masses.
Over the next three decades, Vijay’s popularity gained manifold as he appeared in nearly 70 films, charting a carefully calibrated career. He first played the romantic hero in the late 1990s, then transitioned from acting as an angry young man in the 2000s to a carefully-honed image as saviour and vigilante in films post 2012.
Since then, it was a distinct shift as he started doing issue- based films like Mersal, Sarkar, Kaththi and addressed issues like GST, farmer rights, and corporate greed. The success of these films soft-launched his socialist political ideology.
Philanthropy and activism
Vijay’s transition from a popular commercial hero to a man who spoke through his films was gradual but had its origins in his early years. His father, S Chandrasekhar, was always known to be left-leaning and a socialist.
Vijay’s fan club, Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI), founded in 2009 also helped cement his role as a philanthropist and a social do-gooder. In films, he picked uncorrupted, honest, saviour and vigilante roles, creating an image of the actor on screen, while his social work via his fan clubs, which provided free tuition centres, blood donation drives, "Thalapathy" clinics, built deep loyalty in rural Tamil Nadu and did the groundwork for his political debut.
VMI’s success in the 2021 local body elections, where they won over 100 seats without a formal party structure, only cemented Vjay’s foray into politics.
The Political Debut: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)
After 2021, most were convinced that Vijay would launch his career in politics. The question was which party he would be a part of. His characters have often questioned authority and the state, so most were curious to see which party he would endorse.
In February, he sprung a surprise on many as he launched his own party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), with the ideology "Pirappokkum Ella Uyirkkum" (All are equal by birth).
Earlier in 2026, Vjay began his political campaigning on broad themes of anti-corruption, social justice, Tamil pride and resistance to what he calls authoritarianism by the federal government. The party also called for transparency in government exams and announced financial aid for graduates and women if they came to power.
Jana Nayagan controversy, divorce and affair allegations
While Vijay’s political rally saw huge footfall in almost all venues, he faced personal setbacks that many, at that time, felt would derail his political career right in the beginning. First, his last film, Jana Nayagan, faced multiple release delays over certification and charges of plagiarism and eventually was leaked online.
The film, many felt, mirrored TVK’s political ideology, thus making it a long, drawn feature film lenghth political campaign. Considering Vijay’s film release creates a huge cultural impact each time it hits the theatres, TVK’s opponents raised objections to the timing of the film’s release.
Then, in February, Sangeetha Sornalingam filed for a divorce from the actor. The pair had been married for over 25 years. In her petition, Sangeetha alleged that actor was having an affair with an actress.
Days later, Vijay made his first public appearance with actress Trisha at a wedding in Chennai. Speculation about their alleged affair had been doing the rounds for years. However, it was only after the two made a public appearance together that it was sort of confirmed that they were in a relationship.
TVK’s win and the future of Tamil Nadu politics
Amid personal crisis and controversy around a marriage affair, many felt Vijay’s political career would not take off. However, on May 4, Vijay managed the unthinkable as TVK emerged as a clear winner in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, winning or leading in over 100 seats and emerging as the single largest party. While they have not crossed the 118-seat mark and may opt for an alliance with Congress, Vijay’s win marks a significant moment in Tamil Nadu political history.
He is also the first actor to witness a strong majority at the assembly elections since Jayalalitha and MGR. Actors like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan failed to convert fandom to electoral gains in the past. Despite controversies knocking at his doorstep months before the state went to vote, Vijay’s strong fan base remains undeterred, paving the actor’s way to the legislative assembly.
While it is not clear yet if Vijay will take up the Chief Minister’s post, he has big shoes to fill. Whether he will be able to replicate the political success of MG Ramachandran (MGR) once in office is something only time will tell.
