Bhubaneswar: After receiving a congratulatory tribute from sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik who created a sand sculpture in his honour at Puri beach, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay thanked the artist on social media.
Pattnaik made the sculpture following TVK’s strong performance in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The artwork was dedicated to the TVK chief, popularly known as Thalapathy. It featured a detailed portrait of the actor-politician along with TVK’s signature colours. It had a message reading, “Congratulations VIJAY Anna!”
Sharing photographs of the artwork on social media, Pattnaik wrote, “Heartiest congratulations to #ThalapathyVijay Anna! My sand art at Puri Beach, Odisha.”
A huge thanks to legendary sand artist Thiru. @sudarsansand Avl. for this breathtaking creation! Your talent never fails to amaze. Deeply touched by this beautiful gesture. https://t.co/qD7zgoYlOb
— TVK Vijay (@TVKVijayHQ) May 12, 2026
The gesture soon caught Vijay’s attention.
“A huge thanks to legendary sand artist Thiru. @sudarsansand for this breathtaking creation! Your talent never fails to amaze. Deeply touched by this beautiful gesture,” Vijay wrote back on X.
Vijay, one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars, formally entered politics by launching his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), positioning himself as an alternative to the long-dominant Dravidian parties. His political rise gathered momentum rapidly after he announced that he would fully focus on politics following his film commitments.
The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election turned out to be historic. TVK emerged as the single-largest party, effectively breaking the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in the state. Vijay later staked claim to form the government with support from allies and was sworn in as the 22nd Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.