He made fun of his first film, today he became a popular leader of Tamil Nadu, know Vijay’s story from struggle to power.

New Delhi. Superstar Vijay Thalapathy, who fought for the rights of common people in films, has now become the biggest face of Tamil Nadu politics in real life. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is going to take oath as Chief Minister today. But this journey was not so easy. There was a time when his first film flopped and his looks were made fun of. Now the same Vijay has become the new ‘Thalapati’ of Tamil Nadu.

Got the acting skills from a film family

Born on 22 June 1974, Vijay’s real name is Joseph Vijay Chandrashekhar. His father S.A. Chandrasekhar has been a director of Tamil films, while mother Shobha Chandrasekhar is a playback singer. The atmosphere at home was completely filmy, which had an impact on Vijay as well. Vijay is not only interested in acting but is also interested in singing and has sung songs in many films.

The journey started from a child artiste

Vijay entered films at a very young age. He debuted as a child artist in 1984 with the film ‘Vetri’. After this he appeared in many films. The special thing was that his initial films were directed by his father. Gradually Vijay learned the nuances of acting and started making his mark in Tamil cinema.

First film flopped, made fun of for looks

At the age of just 18, Vijay debuted as a hero in the film ‘Nalaya Theerpu’. However, the film failed at the box office and she faced a lot of criticism regarding her looks. After this his father made the film ‘Senthoorpandi’ with actor Vijayakanth. This film was a hit and from here Vijay’s career came back on track.

Successive hit films made him a superstar

Vijay gave many superhit films in his career. Films like ‘Theri’, ‘Beast’, ‘Shahjahan’, ‘Minsara Kanna’ and ‘Leo’ made him one of the biggest stars of Tamil cinema. ‘Leo’, released in the year 2023, broke records at the box office. Vijay is today counted among the highest paid actors of South India and charges up to Rs 250 crore for a film.

How did Vijay become ‘Thalapati’?

In the South Industry, big stars are given special nicknames. Vijay was also named ‘Thalapathy’ by his fans. Initially he was called ‘Ilaaya Thalapathy’ i.e. little commander. After the tremendous success of the film ‘Rasigan’ and later ‘Marsal’, his name became so popular that he came to be known only as ‘Thalapathy Vijay’.

Journey from films to politics

Vijay, who raised social issues in films, entered politics in February 2024 and formed his own party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). After the party’s announcement before the Lok Sabha elections, Vijay started a rapid public relations campaign across the state. The effect of his popularity was also visible in the assembly elections and TVK emerged as the largest party.

Controversy also added to political journey

Vijay was also embroiled in controversies during his political journey. In 2025, several people were killed in a stampede at a rally organized in Karur. After this incident, a case was registered against Vijay and the party organizers. Later the investigation of this case was handed over to CBI and Vijay was also interrogated.

Personal life also in discussion

Vijay married his fan living in UK in 1999. However, in recent times, news of tension and divorce in their relationship remained in the headlines. Besides, his relationship with actress Trisha Krishnan has also been discussed for a long time. Both have been seen together in many films.

Now the new ‘Thalapati’ of politics

Vijay, who came out of Tamil cinema and reached the highest position in politics, is now going to become the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His character of Jannayak played in films will now come with new responsibilities in real life. Now everyone’s eyes are on whether Vijay can convert his popularity into successful governance or not.