Kollywood star and politician Vijay unveiled the flag and symbol of his party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam. A look at actors-turned-politicians from Tamil Nadu.
Vijay is the latest addition to the list of Tamil actors who have turned politicians. On Thursday, the Kollywood star and politician unveiled the flag and symbol of his party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam. He also read out a pledge and stated that he and the party will be working for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.
However, he is not the first hero who has ventured into the political arena in the state. Here’s a look at some of those from the Tamil film industry who have jumped onto the political bandwagon.
1. MG Ramachandran (MGR)
MGR was and is one of the most popular stars in the Tamil film industry. His movies had storylines that batted for the poor and he was seen as the people’s saviour. He was part of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam but after his tiff with Kalaignar Karunanidhi launched his own party, Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 1972. He was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for three consecutive terms.
2. J Jayalalithaa
She was a delight on screen and one of the most successful pairings of her was with MGR. J Jayalalithaa followed in MGR’s footsteps and joined his party, the AIADMK. She was never considered MGR’s political heir but the Iron Lady, as she became known, became a tall leader of the party and the state after MGR’s demise. For a party that had anti-Brahmin principles, Jayalalithaa was CM of Tamil Nadu a record five times.
3. Vijayakant
Captain Vijayakant, as he was known, was a popular Tamil star who had a massive fan following. Vijayakant was seen in a lot of patriotic films where he played army captain and police officer and this gave him a certain image with the people. Like MGR, he wanted to be seen as someone who worked for the poor, for his state and country and in 2005 called the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). While Vijayakant never became CM of Tamil Nadu, his party was a factor in deciding whether it was the DMK or AIADMK which finally formed the government.
4. Sarathkumar
For the longest time, actor Sarathkumar didn’t seem to be someone who was going to launch his own party. He joined the DMK and contested on their behalf in Tirunelveli in 1998 but lost the election. From 2001 to 2006, he was a DMK MP in parliament but in 2007 he launched his own party called the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK). Sarathkumar’s party didn’t gain any significant traction in the state and in 2024, he merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
5. Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan has always been vociferous about his political views but he never joined the DMK or AIADMK, criticising them both for their flawed principles and acts. Post the demise of Jayalalithaa in 2016, the ruling AIADMK was imploding and politics in the state was in turmoil. Kamal Haasan decided to launch his own party, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in 2018 as an alternative to the BJP (which was becoming more popular in Tamil Nadu) and the Dravidian forces. He wanted a rational party that would have the ideals of Gandhi but unfortunately, the MNM has not become successful in the state.
6. Khushbu Sundar
She came into the world of cinema as a child artiste and is now a popular actor and politician in Tamil Nadu. Khusbu Sundar’s entry into politics didn’t seem to be a planned one but more a situation where she was forced to stand up against misogyny and patriarchy. In 2005, her comments on pre-marital sex didn’t go down well with numerous political parties in the state and in 2010 she joined the DMK. She is currently in the BJP and till recently was part of the National Commission for Women.
7. Sivaji Ganesan
Sivaji Ganesan was a popular Tamil star but he never attained the kind of status that MGR did. The ideology of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy attracted him and in fact, it was Periyar who gave him the moniker Sivaji after watching one of his performances. The Tamil star joined the DMK when it was launched by Annadurai but in 1962, he started to support the Congress and was made MP by Indira Gandhi. In 1988, he decided to start his own party, Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani, when the Congress formed an alliance with the AIADMK. A year later when his party was routed in the elections, he merged it with the Janata Dal.
8. Napoleon
From playing the villain in Tamil films, Napoleon became a political figure thanks to his uncle, senior DMK leader, KN Nehru. The actor contested the 2001 state elections in Villivakkam and became a DMK MLA. He lost the subsequent election but won in 2009 and was made minister in the DMK government. When he was sidelined by the DMK for being an Ahazagiri sympathiser, Napoleon joined the BJP in 2014.
9. Seeman
Seeman entered the Tamil film industry as a director in 1996 but his films didn’t succeed at the box office. He then decided to turn actor but it was his political ideology that brought him into politics full-time. In 2006, he campaigned for the DMK alliance which included the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). His political career took a turn in 2008 when he met the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. His speeches favoured the LTTE and was against the killing of Tamils, and he was arrested under the NSE act. In 2009, he and other activists formed the Naam Kamilar Katchi (NTK). The NTK is active in the political arena but Seeman has been plagued by controversies.
10. Karunaas
When he appeared on screen and did his antics, the Tamil audience laughed. However, Karunaas, like others from Tamil cinema, got into active politics when he contested for the AIADMK in the Thiruvadanai constituency in the 2016 State assembly election. He won the seat but later started his own party called Mukkulathor Pulipadai, which enjoys Thevar support.
