Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s debut performance in the Tamil Nadu elections has come as a surprise to many, with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as the single-largest party on result day (May 4).The party was leading in 109 of the 234 Legislative Assembly seats as of 6 pm and its performance is being read as a game-changer for state politics. More than any other factor, the singular name brand of Vijay, 51, one of the most bankable stars of Tamil cinema for years, seems to have propelled the TVK forward. As Vijay once declared on the campaign trail, “In all 234 constituencies, Vijay is the candidate.”Vijay’s foray into politics has been successful at least on the metric of winnability, but it had several speed bumps. Just about six years ago, when his parents attempted to launch his political career, he took them to court. It was in 2024 that he formally launched the TVK.The power of fandomVijay made his film debut as a child actor in 1984, with Vetri helmed by his father, director-producer S A Chandrasekhar.His career as an adult saw little success early on — until the release of his father’s film Senthoorapandi (1993), which also starred the established actor Vijaykanth. It set Vijay on a path of romantic and family-centric films, with an eventual turn to action and mass cinema, gradually earning him the moniker of “Thalapathy” (commander).Explained | Vijay disrupts Dravidian binary. Here’s what his party TVK stands forEven in the tradition of South Indian cinema, with the Tamil and Telugu industries having several larger-than-life heroes inspiring great devotion from fans, Vijay’s fandom has been among the most dedicated.For decades, fan clubs of actors have been loosely associated with the stars, with offices in smaller towns and villages. They have organised social welfare programmes in their name, such as blood donation campaigns. In Vijay’s case, fans held these activities under the banner of the All India Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkham. His eventual political party thus had something resembling a cadre-based organisation from the get-go.Story continues below this adIt would not have been unusual for Vijay to quickly convert this base into a political advantage, as many did before him in the state, but he had apprehensions.Amid rumours of party-formation, a film industry source told The Indian Express in 2023, “His father initiated his political plans in 2009 when the fan group was formed. Vijay has always been uncertain and unsure about his political destiny. In 2021, he told us privately that he might not consider politics until a significant political vacuum arises in the state. However, his current move (of starting groundwork) might be to advance his plans, indicating a decision to join state politics currently dominated by (Chief Minister) M K Stalin and (AIADMK leader) Edappadi K Palaniswami.”The father angleDespite his screen image as a man of the masses, Vijay’s public persona has been that of a shy and private actor. Partly a result of that limited public communication, his father has been one of the most active faces behind Vijay’s political launch.At later stages of his career, when Vijay’s films came under the scanner of some political parties for their overt political references and criticisms, he often chose to remain silent, while his father publicly addressed them.Story continues below this adIn 2020, Chandrasekhar attempted to register an organisation called the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI) as a political body, apparently without Vijay’s permission. Chandrasekhar was named its general secretary and his wife and Vijay’s mother, the singer Shobha, was its treasurer.He underlined the need for a political party, arguing that he started fan clubs for Vijay during the actor’s early days and he had not sought permission then either. He also said that the party was his own initiative and had no connection with Vijay. Shobha later said only Vijay will take a call on his political entry, and that she was not aware of Chandrasekhar’s exact plans when she agreed to join the organisation.In September 2021, Vijay publicly distanced himself from the VMI and even filed a lawsuit against 11 individuals, including his parents. The VMI was subsequently dissolved.About a year later, Vijay made an indirect entry into politics, when members of his fan organisation contested the rural local body polls and won 115 of the 169 seats.The decision to transitionStory continues below this adVijay’s transition towards becoming a full-time politician came at a time when Tamil Nadu politics seemed to have an opening for another party.The AIADMK, one of the two major parties of the state, was seen as a shell of its former self after J Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016. Despite its formidable organisation, the infighting among party leaders lowered its political standing. Vijay also chose to target the DMK for alleged corruption, and the BJP for its ideology. He also enjoyed considerable support among the youth and women, which are identities that can cut across regional and caste divides.That being said, there was little before the results to indicate the size of the victory that the TVK scripted, in the face of questions about its lack of ideological focus and experience. Whatever the exact reasons may have been for Vijay sticking to a particular timeline for his political launch, they have worked in his favour.