From his first film Naalaiya Theerpu to becoming TVK supremo Thalapathy Vijay’s journey reflects his rise from cinema icon to political leader in Tamil Nadu.
Published: May 4, 2026 11:28 AM IST
In a dramatic political moment in Tamil Nadu, the early election trends are showing a surprising wave where Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by Thalapathy Vijay, is reportedly making a historic debut. Early updates suggest the party has crossed around 111 seats in its first election and is currently competing strongly with established parties like DMK and AIADMK. This unexpected rise has brought attention back to Vijay’s long journey from a film actor to a political leader. The focus again returns to C Joseph Vijay, who slowly transformed into Thalapathy Vijay and built a deep emotional bond with people across Tamil Nadu through cinema before stepping into politics with TVK.
The start of C Joseph Vijay
C Joseph Vijay began his acting journey as a lead hero with Naalaiya Theerpu in 1992. The film did not perform well and received criticism, which made his entry challenging. Despite this setback, he continued working in films like Sendhoorapandi (1993), Rasigan (1994), Deva (1995), Vishnu (1995) and Chandralekha (1995). These early projects helped him survive in the industry and slowly gain experience as an actor who learned from failure instead of stopping at it.
How did romantic genre help Vijay to become a household name among every Tamilian?
The breakthrough came in 1996 with Poove Unakkaga, which gave him his first major success. After that, films like Love Today, Once More, Nerrukku Ner, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, Ninaithen Vandhai, and Thulladha Manamum Thullum made him extremely popular among family audiences. His emotional and romantic roles created a strong connection with viewers across all age groups. Because of his filmography he made a special place in every Tamilian which hail him as Thambi and Anna as audiences started seeing him as part of their own family.
The action era which became game changer for Vijay and made him Thalapathy Vijay
The early 2000s changed everything for Vijay as films like Kushi Priyamanavale and Friends built his strong commercial base while Thirumalai 2003 gave him a mass transformation and Ghilli (2004) opposite Trisha Krishnan became a cult blockbuster followed by Thirupaachi Sivakasi and Pokkiri which made him a dominant action star in Tamil cinema.
During this phase he also evolved into Thalapathy through a long journey from romantic hero to social icon after his father SA Chandrasekhar first called him Ilaya Thalapathy in Rasigan and the title later grew with his success until Ilaya was dropped in Mersal (2017) marking his full identity as Thalapathy Vijay. His peak continued with Thuppakki, Kaththi, Theri, Mersal, Bigil, Master, Beast, Leo and GOAT expanding his pan India and global superstar status.
The controversies around Thalapthy Vijay’s filmography
Vijay’s films often faced political and social controversies. Thalaivaa 2013 was delayed due to release issues. Sarkar 2018 triggered protests over alleged criticism of government schemes. His final film Jana Nayagan in 2026 faced censor delays leaks and piracy issues which led to investigations and arrests. Despite these challenges his popularity only grew stronger among fans and political observers.
How did TVK become Thalapathy Vijay’s political identity?
Before entering full time politics Vijay built Vijay Makkal Iyakkam which worked in welfare activities across Tamil Nadu. In 2024 he officially launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and announced his exit from cinema after his 69th film Jana Nayagan.
With rallies in Vikravandi and Madurai the party quickly gained youth support. Now with strong early election performance TVK has emerged as a powerful new force in Tamil Nadu politics.
