Vijay, MGR, Rajnikanth and more: South Indian superstars who turned fan power into political parties
In South India, cinema and politics have often shared the same stage. From MGR to Vijay, several superstars didn’t just dominate the box office; they built political movements. As Thalapathy Vijay’s TVK storms Tamil Nadu, here are cinema icons who turned fans into vote banks. Scroll down.
Silver-screen demigods to people's leaders
Thalapathy Vijay created history earlier this week as his newly formed political party Tamailaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won a whopping 108 seats, emerging as the single largest party in the 234-member Assembly and effectively ousting the ruling ADMK. Notably, Vijay is not the first southern superstar to turn his fan power into a political legacy.
From silver-screen demigods to ballot-box disruptors, Southern cinema has repeatedly produced stars who did not just campaign for power; they built political parties around their personal charisma. Some changed state politics forever. Others made a mark, then faded. Let's take a look at the biggest names who crossed from blockbuster openings to electoral battlegrounds.
Thalapathy Vijay
Party founded: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), 2024
Vijay is the newest and perhaps most closely watched entrant in this long tradition. He launched TVK in 2024 and recently recorded an historic victory in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
Thalapathy Vijay, in an emotional announcement on December 27, 2025, announced that he is retiring from his film career to focus entirely on politics.
N.T. Rama Rao (NTR)
Party founded: Telugu Desam Party (TDP), 1982
Before actor-politician became a familiar Indian formula, NTR practically wrote the playbook. One of Telugu cinema's most revered figures, he launched the Telugu Desam Party on the idea of Telugu pride and self-respect, directly challenging Congress's dominance in Andhra Pradesh. Within months, he was Chief Minister.
M.G. Ramachandran (MGR)
Party founded: AIADMK, 1972
If Tamil cinema had royalty, MGR was the emperor. After splitting from the DMK, he formed the AIADMK and transformed fan devotion into one of India’s most powerful welfare-driven political machines. He became Chief Minister in 1977 and stayed there until he died in 1987.
Vijayakanth
Party founded: DMDK, 2005
Known simply as “Captain,” Vijayakanth built the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) as a third force in Tamil Nadu politics. Unlike many stars who leaned on existing alliances, he positioned himself as an alternative. At his peak, DMDK rose fast enough to become the principal opposition in 2011. It was one of the clearest examples of star power converting into institutional politics.
Chiranjeevi
Party founded: Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), 2008
Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi’s political entry generated massive hype, but his Praja Rajyam Party never fully matched expectations. Chiranjeevi entered the political arena in 2008 by founding the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP).
After contesting elections, PRP eventually merged with Congress in 2011, and Chiranjeevi later served as a Union Minister.
Pawan Kalyan
Party founded: Jana Sena Party (JSP), 2014
Pawan Kalyan, a major star in Telugu cinema, founded the Jana Sena Party in 2014. The party began as a politically charged outsider movement and gradually matured into a meaningful force in Andhra Pradesh. In 2024, JSP achieved a historic landmark victory in the Andhra Pradesh elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Kalyan's party JSP recorded an unprecedented 100% strike rate, winning all 21 of the 21 seats it contested.
Kamal Haasan
Party founded: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), 2018
Kamal Haasan entered politics less as a mass populist and more as an ideological reformist. MNM positioned itself around governance, anti-corruption and centrist politics and as an alternative to the established DMK and AIADMK parties.
J. Jayalalithaa - Honourable mention
While J. Jayalalithaa did not found any political parties, she created her place in history as the political heir of her mentor M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), overtaking his AIADMK party. Jayalalithaa is credited with transforming it into one of India’s most powerful political machines.
After MGR died in 1987, she battled internal factions to take control of the party. She served six terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and became an iconic figure known as “Amma.”
Rajinikanth - Honourable mention
Superstar Rajinikanth is the most notable example of a South Indian superstar who did not start a political party, despite years of speculation.
2017: He announced his intention to enter "spiritual politics" and form a party for the next assembly election.
2020: Just before his expected launch, he cited health concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for withdrawing from politics entirely.
2021: He officially dissolved his political outfit, Rajini Makkal Mandram, confirming he had no future plans to enter the political arena.
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