Chennai: Ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections, actor-turned-politician Vijay, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party chief, hit back at those dismissing him as “just an actor.”
Speaking at a public event on Tuesday, Vijay responded to critics with sarcasm, saying that calling him an actor is nothing new.
“There’s this minister who keeps saying, Vijay is an actor, Vijay is an actor… Yes, I am an actor. It’s as if he has discovered something new,” Vijay quipped.
He added that while he may be an actor by profession, he has not been “acting” in politics, and accused his opponents of doing drama instead.
“But I haven’t acted in politics. I haven’t acted since entering politics. What you’re doing is performing drama over drama, shall we call you actors and actresses then?” he said.
Vijay also addressed the Karur stampede during a TVK rally last year, which left over 40 people dead and many injured.
Vijay questioned why he was being blamed, stating that he had taken necessary police permission and that everything was recorded live.
He appeared to target the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over the incident, which he had described as heartbreaking.
“Why are you blaming me? You made a video saying we wouldn’t even talk about this, and now you’re blaming me for it,” he said.
“I was there at the time the police provided permission to me. Everything is on live, don’t you have a conscience?” he added.
“Vijay is an actor .. Vijay is an actor.. Yes.. I’m an actor.. Ennamo pudhusa kandu pudicha madhri.. I didn’t act after coming to Politics.. I didn’t act in politics.. But You people are putting drama in politics..”
– #ThalapathyVijay‘s Today’s Speech pic.twitter.com/FSMa6bNNhs
— Laxmi Kanth (@iammoviebuff007) April 21, 2026
Since announcing his political entry in February 2024, Vijay has remained in the spotlight beyond films.
He will be contesting the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections on his own, with his party not joining any alliance, and has been vocal about the changes he hopes to bring if elected.
Vijay has also made news for planning to step away from films.
His last project, ‘Jana Nayagan’, directed by H. Vinoth, was scheduled for a Pongal release but got delayed due to certification issues.
The situation worsened after the film’s HD print leaked online, leading to multiple arrests.
On the personal front, reports of his separation from his wife Sangeeta Sornalingam surfaced in February. In March, he was also seen attending a wedding reception with his rumoured girlfriend Trisha Krishnan, drawing further public attention.