CHENNAI: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president actor Vijay had a tough time reining in participants of the education awards programme in Mamallapuram on Friday, as his plea not to address him comparing with legendary leaders, such as former Chief Minister Kamaraj and appeal to keep speeches short in mourning the Ahmedabad flight crash deaths, fell on deaf ears.

Actor Vijay expressed deep sorrow over the tragic plane crash in Gujarat, during the "Thalapathy Vijay Kalvi Virudhu Vizha" held at Mamallapuram on Friday and urged participants to shorten their speeches.

Addressing the gathering, Vijay said, "A very tragic accident occurred yesterday in Gujarat. When I saw the photos and videos of the Ahmedabad plane crash, my heart trembled. Life is unpredictable — the next moment is never guaranteed."

A two-minute silence was observed in memory of those who lost their lives.

"You've all travelled long distances. I will meet each of you personally. But I humbly request parents and students to keep stage speeches brief," he said.

The award ceremony began soon after, with Vijay presenting a gold ring to Karthik, a student from Valparai, but the education-related award event soon turned into a political one.

Despite Vijay's earlier plea, Karthik's father praised the actor, likening him to leaders like MGR and Vijayakanth, forcing Vijay to intervene, taking the microphone again, and making an appeal, "Please don't speak about the 2026 elections or call me 'Ilaya Kamaraj' (young Kamaraj). Instead, speak about your schools and teachers — they are your real heroes."

Students from Chengalpattu, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, The Nilgiris, Tenkasi, and Puducherry took part in the event.

TVK functionaries, including N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KG Arunraj, and CTR Nirmalkumar, were present at the event.