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Vijay’s political films
Vijay’s political films: Five Tamil movies of the TVK leader that you should watch
Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has been leading in many constituencies on the day of counting of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The star, who plunged into politics in 2024, rose to stardom in Tamil cinema by peppering his films with the three most important commercial elements – dance, action and comedy.
But there was another element – political – that he subtly introduced in a few of his films. The messaging here was not direct, but rather placed the protagonist (played by him) as the victim of an issue that was the result of the powers that be. If you are new to Tamil films starring Vijay, here are five movies you can catch up on to get a glimpse of his outlook and perspective:
Priyanka Chopra and Vijay in ‘Thamizhan’
In this 2002 film, Vijay plays a lawyer called Surya, whose goal in life is one thing: to spread awareness about the law to the common man. Directed by Majith, Tamizhan has several interesting sequences where Vijay pulls up public servants – like a conductor who refuses small change to a senior citizen travelling in a bus, or corporation officials who neglect their duties that affect the lives of the downtrodden. Apart from being popular actor Priyanka Chopra’s debut film, Thamizhan – which routinely plays on Tamil film channels even today – also featured a stirring song sequence in which a mass of people gather in the roads of Chennai to rally around the protagonist. And the tagline of Tamizhan? Born to win.
Fans celebrating actor Vijay-starrer ‘Thalaiva’ | Photo Credit: RAGU R
The title translates to ‘The Leader’. Directed by filmmaker Vijay, it features a dancer from Australia being forced to return to India to take over his father’s syndicate and provide justice for the helpless. Thalaivaa was in the limelight for a delayed release, one that saw Vijay and his father, SA Chandrasekar, seeking the help of the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, who was reportedly irked with the tagline of the film: ‘time to lead’.
Vijay in ‘Kaththi’
What will Vijay do to the villagers and farmers if he comes to power? This was a commonly-discussed question during the run-up to the all-important Tamil Nadu elections. There are a few answers in this 2014 Tamil film, directed by AR Murugadoss. Featuring Vijay in a dual role (of Kathiresan and Jeeva), Kaththi (which translates to “knife”) showcased the battle between a greedy entrepreneur and a man of the masses. Apart from some hit music by Anirudh Ravichander and top commercial sequences, Kaththi also highlighted the plight of farmers and how water is a commodity that both the rich and the poor clash over. Interestingly, its release period was also marred with controversy, due to a plagiarism claim and allegations of the producer’s business link. The reference to the 2G spectrum case also led to a defamation case against Vijay and the production banner Lyca Productions.
Vijay in ‘Mersal’
If a single political dialogue can land an entire film in controversy, it would have to be Mersal. This grand film, directed by Atlee, featuring Vijay in triple roles, had an important line that landed the entire film and its release in trouble. In a sequence, Vijay asks why India cannot provide universal health care despite charging a 28% GST, while Singapore, which only charges 7%, could provide free healthcare. This line landed the project in soup post-release, with political parties such as the BJP slamming it alleging it was anti-digital India.
Vijay in ‘Sarkar’
Does a single vote make any difference in an election? It does, if you were to go by this political film directed by AR Murugadoss. In Sarkar (which, interestingly, translates to “government”), Vijay plays a wealthy businessman named Sundar Ramaswamy who comes to India for a single day to cast his vote. While many fans drew parallels between the lead character and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Sarkar actually revolves around how a suave entrepreneur’s vote goes missing from the electoral board and how he decides to make a big deal of it, thus affecting the entire political system of the state. This film, reminiscent of what is unfolding in Tamil Nadu currently, features the protagonist deciding to contest in all constituencies and even leads to him almost landing in the Chief Minister’s chair. Oru Viral Puratchi, anyone?
Vijay in ‘Jana Nayagan’
We understand your confusion, because this film is yet to be released officially. But it could well be the most political subject of Vijay yet, when it hits the big screen. Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan – which translates to ‘people’s leader’ – is reportedly said to revolve around a former police officer up in arms against a powerful lobby. Said to be Vijay’s swansong project,it has been hogging the limelight in the first half of 2026 even as it faced release postponement due to the delay in granting a censor certificate by the CBFC and several legal battles. The much-anticipated film was also leaked in High Definition in April, which was a massive setback for the team. Updates about the release of this film in theatres are still awaited.
Published - May 04, 2026 05:30 pm IST
Tamil cinema / state politics / Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026
Source: TheHindu
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