For more than two decades, Vijay has indicated his plans to take the political plunge through his movie selection, dialogues, and songs, and most of all, in his audio launch speeches. Now that he has become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, it is clear that his political roadmap was scripted long ago. Here is a chronological look at the collection of films that showcase his political messages
Master follows JD, a college professor who struggles with drinking and doesn't care much about rules. He ends up at a juvenile home for a few months, where he discovers that a ruthless gangster is using the young boys as shields by making them take the blame for his crimes. JD eventually cleans up his act to protect the kids and fixes the broken system.
While it is an action drama, the movie dives deep into how criminals use politics and law to stay safe while sacrificing innocent juvenile prisoners' lives. The climax features a powerful speech at the juvenile home where JD speaks about how the system is rigged. He highlights how juveniles are exploited and used as tools by powerful people who never get their hands dirty. He also delivers sharp dialogues about liquor business, drugs, and questions the government's role in promoting alcohol, pointing out the irony of a system that profits from addiction while failing to protect the youth. It was a clear critique of how the government handles social issues. In a standout moment, the villain tries to lure JD into politics, but JD turns it down, saying that power isn't the only way to make a difference. The film also faced real-world heat when Income-Tax raids happened during the shooting, which many felt was a way to target the actor.
Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Arjun Das
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video
Bigil follows Michael, a former football player who has to give up his sports dream after his father, a local don named Rayappan, is murdered. Years later, he gets a second chance to coach a women’s football team and lead them to victory, while also dealing with the criminals who ruined his family.
The film speaks about women's empowerment and the dirty side of sports politics. It criticises how talented people from poor backgrounds are often blocked by influential people in power. One of the most talked-about political dialogues is when Michael says, "If the right people don't come into the right places, the wrong people will take over," a statement about the need for good leadership in society.
Director: Atlee
Cast: Vijay, Nayanthara, Jackie Shroff, Vivek
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video
Sarkar follows Sundar Ramasamy, a successful businessman living abroad who flies back home to Chennai just to cast his vote. Finding that his vote was already cast in a bogus manner, he sets out on a journey to fight back for his vote and take on the ruling establishment.
This movie was a major milestone in establishing Vijay’s political stand. It uses powerful moments and speeches to show how money ruins elections. The movie played a major role in creating awareness about Section 49P of the Indian Constitution, which most people didn't know about. It also spoke about the important role youth should play in politics. The film felt very real to people in Tamil Nadu because it talked about the everyday problems of how a state is run and reminded everyone that the real power belongs to the citizens.
A major controversy was sparked by the scene in which ruling government and opposition freebies like TVs, mixers, and cycles were shown being thrown into a fire. This created a huge backlash from both sides, leading to protests and pressure on the filmmakers.
Director: AR Murugadoss
Cast: Vijay, Keerthy Suresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
Where to watch it: Netflix / Sun NXT
Mersal follows Maaran, a sincere doctor who charges only Rs 5 for his treatment, and his long-lost brother Vetri, a magician, who is out for revenge. This movie is a powerful strike against medical crimes, hospital racketeering, and the neglect of the poor. Through sharp dialogues and emotional confrontations, the film critiques the commercialisation of life-saving services and famously questions the implementation of GST and the state of public welfare.
The song "Aalaporaan Thamizhan" was a symbolic strike in support of the Tamil community, released after the intense period of the Jallikattu ban protests. The film became a political talking point and sparked a backlash by leaders of the Union government. The speech against GST led to huge national debates over freedom of expression. The government went to the extent of blocking the film until certain scenes were trimmed and dialogues criticising the government were muted.
Director: Atlee
Cast: Vijay, Samantha, Kajal Aggarwal, Nithya Menen, SJ Suryah
Where to watch it: Netflix / Zee5
Kaththi is about Jeevanantham, a social activist fighting for farmers' rights, and Kathiresan, a petty thief who is his look-alike. When Kathiresan sees the struggles of the farmers in his village, he decides to take up the fight against a greedy corporate boss who wants to steal their land and water for a factory.
The film stands out as a powerful voice for the struggles of farmers and how they are losing their land. This film showcased a strong performance by Vijay, especially in the press meet scene, where he delivers a long speech explaining how the media ignores farmers' deaths but focuses on trivial issues. In this scene, the film famously mentions how the country has seen massive scams, while the common farmer is left to die for a few thousand rupees. Before its release, the film faced heavy opposition from different sides, leading to protests against the producers.
Director: AR Murugadoss
Cast: Vijay, Samantha, Neil Nitin Mukesh
Where to watch it: YouTube
Thalaivaa (2013)
Thalaivaa follows a young man, Vishwa, living in Australia who returns to find out about his father’s past. He soon discovers that his father is actually a powerful leader who protects the Tamil people in Mumbai. The character was inspired by the real-life Mumbai leader Varadarajan Mudaliar. After his father is killed, he is forced to take over the role to lead the community.
This movie was a massive turning point because of its tagline "Time to Lead," which many felt was a direct hint at Vijay’s political entry. The film sparked a huge backlash by the ruling government at the time, which went to the extent of blocking the film’s release for several days. Vijay even had to release a video message to the then Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, requesting her help. Eventually, the film only came out after the tagline "Time to Lead" was removed and certain scenes were trimmed.
Director: AL Vijay
Cast: Vijay, Amala Paul, Sathyaraj, Santhanam
Where to watch it: Sun NXT
Sura tells the story of a brave fisherman who lives in a small coastal village and stands up against a greedy, corrupt minister. The minister tries to snatch the villagers' land for a massive commercial project, but Sura acts as the protector of his community, fighting to ensure they don't lose their homes or their livelihoods to political greed.
The movie is filled with political overtones, specifically highlighting the issue of fishermen settlement clearance. A major highlight is the song "Vettri Kodi Yethu," which is packed with references to leadership and political ideas. In an important dialogue, he says, "I haven't reached the peak just by climbing; I reached it because people lifted me up," which was seen as a message about his bond with his fans and his future in leadership.
Director: SP Rajkumar
Cast: Vijay, Tamannaah, Vadivelu
Where to watch it: Sun NXT
Madurey tells the story of a man who seems like a simple vegetable vendor in Chennai but is actually a powerful District Collector on a secret mission. He hides his identity to find out the truth about a local criminal who is terrorising the city using political connections.
The film highlights the idea of "clean administration" and shows that a true leader should work at the ground level to understand people's pain. It features strong lines about how a leader shouldn't just sit in an office but should be among the public. The film also addressed how politicians use high-ranking officials to do their bid. The transformation from a common man to a high-ranking officer was seen as a metaphor for a leader who knows the struggles of the streets but has the power to fix the system.
Director: Ramana Madhesh
Cast: Vijay, Sonia Aggarwal, Rakshitha, Vadivelu
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video
Thamizhan tells the story of Surya, a lawyer who is on a mission to make sure every regular person understands the basics of the Indian Constitution. He wants to empower the public so they don’t get cheated by officials or caught up in unfair situations in their daily lives.
The movie treats legal literacy as a basic necessity for the poor, making the law feel like something that belongs to the people rather than just the elite. A key takeaway from the film is the idea that corruption loses its grip once the common man knows exactly what he is entitled to. It highlights how understanding even simple rules can prevent massive exploitation and bring about real social change. The movie left a strong message that being a responsible citizen starts with knowing your rights and having the courage to use them.
Director: Majith
Cast: Vijay, Priyanka Chopra, Nassar, Revathi
Where to watch it: Sun NXT