The second State conference of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam at Parapathi on the outskirts of Madurai on August 21, 2025 drew huge crowds, mostly his fans, from across Tamil Nadu. The political spectacle evoked memories of a similar show of strength in Madurai nearly two decades ago, when another actor-turned-politician, Vijayakant (then spelt as Vijayakanth), launched his political party.
Fondly known as ‘Captain,’ a moniker from his hit film Captain Prabhakaran, and celebrated as ‘Puratchi Kalaignar’ [revolutionary artist] for his crusader roles in movies, Vijayakant, then a 54-year-old matinee idol with 148 films to his credit, entered politics in a well-planned move. He had nurtured his fans’ association into a political force in a phased manner.
