A few years ago, if you told me a movie star would take politics by storm and actually win big, I’d have dismissed you as a crazy fan. But here we are – Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar aka Thalapathy Vijay (Commander Vijay) is the embodiment of that crazy theory. There is just one difference between the crazy theory and our reality, this isn’t just a fun run to power but a full blown political revolution. 

How did this happen?

The political scene in the Southern states like Tamil Nadu has long been dominated by political dynasties – politicians born into ready made systems of supporters and ideology. Same surname, same ideologies, very little deviation meaning very little possibility of change. Then all of a sudden a new guy walks in and flips the script.

This is why Vijay’s win is an anomaly. He doesn’t have decades of ground work, nor does he have inherited political machinery, and most importantly, has a traditional background similar to the masses of voters. He does, however, have a massive fan base, a refined public image and a new set of ideas. But popularity doesn’t always win votes. The list of public figures who crashed and burned in the political landscape is endless. Vijay cleverly played the outsider card, framing himself to be a just leader with no personal agenda. Moreover, he eased the youth’s frustration by discussing solutions to their problems to gain their trust, and in turn, their votes. 

So what are the policies that made him win?

His political stance is centred around him being an unorthodox politician, claiming he can reduce corruption, increase transparency and make decisions that reflect the public needs, not just the party’s agenda. These ideas aren’t groundbreaking in any sense; most campaigns talk about them. But due to Vijay’s “outsider” approach – he wins. Framing himself as an outsider meant not being part of the system, meaning no lobbyists to impress and no stress of paying back favours.

More than that, as we discussed before, his target age bracket was the youth; first time voters, students and people juggling education and employment. He put emphasis on:-

  • Quality of education: more practical, less mugging (my mom would love him)
  • Creating better job opportunities
  • Encouraging entrepreneurship and start-ups

In simple words, he wants to make sure what one studies is actually useful, something that will help them get better jobs and even become self employed, thereby fixing exactly what the current system lacks.

Another turning point is the deviation from a subsidy based political campaign. Where multiple of the past candidates strongly pushed the ideas of subsidies, free schemes and social welfare. Thalapathy has chosen to reject them, ensuring that the critical programs function. The remaining funds are deviated and invested into improving infrastructure, in turn creating jobs. The idea is to slowly reduce dependence on social programs. This is clearly derived from the economic concept of injection, where the government injects money into the economy to provide a boost which creates jobs. More money in the economy = healthier economy, also known as Keynesian economics.

However, his big promises have put him under a lot of pressure. His popularity among voters is owed to these promises, and voters will expect him to deliver as well. We can see something similar with Zohran Mamdani. Its only been 100 days since he took office, however he is already facing backlash for not taking action towards his promises. This clearly shows the unrealistic expectations voters can develop after trusting an outsider candidate as unlike others they expect them to actually make a difference.Similar pressure will fall on Thalapathy as the trust of the public is hard to attain and very quickly and easily lost. Measurable change, if not achieved soon, will impact his popularity and image quite a bit. I say this assuming that the people will not just be blinded by his stardom and hold him accountable for his failures and give him credit for his successes.

If he is able to deliver, even partially, it would change the political landscape and barrier to entry for all outsiders into politics. He has hype, he has all eyes on him, so he and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), need to deliver on their promises. All of this is still pretty fresh. As time goes by, and the CM is announced, better conclusions will be drawn and we will find out if my opinions of this great political upset in Tamil Nadu will stand the test of time. 

Works Cited

Tragakes, Ellie. Economics for the IB Diploma. Cambridge University Press, 2000.

“A Blend of Dravidian Ideas, Tamil Nationalism: Actor Vijay Outlines TVK’s Ideology.” The New Indian Express, 28 Oct. 2024. https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2024/Oct/28/a-blend-of-dravidian-ideas-tamil-nationalism-actor-vijay-outlines-tvks-ideology.

“Vijay’s TVK Manifesto Focuses on Jobs, Education, and Welfare.” The Economic Times, 29 Mar. 2026. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/tamil-nadu/tvk-manifesto-heres-what-thalapathy-vijay-promised-for-women-farmers-youth-and-others-ahead-of-tamil-nadu-elections-read-full-manifesto-here/articleshow/130777084.cms.

“TVK Claims Victory with 40-Point Manifesto.” Times of India, 5 May 2026. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tamil-nadu-election-results-2026-how-tvks-40-point-manifesto-powered-vijays-rise-as-mudhalamaichar/articleshow/130805447.cms.

“Vijay Promises 75% Jobs in Private Sector to Tamil Youth.” Deccan Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-polls-tvk-chief-vijay-to-contest-from-perambur-trichy-east-1947052.

Written by Sonak D, Journalist at The Woodstocker

Edited by Norzin Y and Tisya K, Co-Editors of The Woodstocker