C Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10. His party, TVK, has caused a major political earthquake in Tamil Nadu by beating both Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the two main players in the state for decades. He has joined the league of iconic actor-turned-leaders like NT Rama Rao, MG Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa.
What Tota shared about working with Vijay
But little did Bengali actor Tota Roy Chowdhury know about his stardom and impact when he worked with Vijay back in 2013, during the shoot of Kaththi. In a chat with Straight Up with Shree, Tota Roy Chowdhury shared how he shot a scene with Vijay in one take, after which he was called for a small chat with him. Tota played the role of Vivek Banerjee in Kaththi, directed by AR Murugadoss.
Tota recalled that he delivered a long page of dialogue in one take during the shoot, with Vijay also present to give cues. After the shot, the entire unit of around 120 people started clapping. But Tota did not expect to be called by Vijay’s secretary shortly after. He said, “I was initially scared about what I did wrong? Why is he calling me? Did I do something wrong? So I went in, and he was so polite, he told me to sit down and asked, ‘Can I offer you some coffee?’ While drinking coffee, he spoke. He asked where I am from, and apologised for not knowing much about me. I work in regional films, he said! Then he said, ‘I really liked working with you. Very nice.’ He was such a gentleman!”
Tota then shared that after the conversation with Vijay ended, the film’s assistants surrounded him and asked what had happened! He said, “They were like, ‘He chatted with you? He offered you coffee?’ I was like, ‘Why do you see him in that way?’ They said, ‘What are you saying? He is the future CM of our state!’ It is now that I realise this! This was in 2013! I remembered this conversation with the assistant when Vijay formed his party.”
When Vijay formed TVK
In February 2024, Vijay announced that he would contest in the 2026 elections. He launched the TVK party and held his first public rally in October 2024. Since then, the actor has toured many regions of TN to hold rallies and share his manifesto directly with the people. Vijay refused to form an alliance with any central or regional party before he contested his debut election, even as many around him did. Filmmaker Sundar C contested in alliance with AIADMK, while Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) joined hands with the DMK right before the election.
Vijay’s final film, Jana Nayagan, is yet to be certified by the CBFC, having been delayed since January.