I felt jealous: Pawan Kalyan reacts to Vijay's sweeping political victory with TVK
Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan said he felt a little jealous watching Vijay's swift rise and landslide victory in TVK's first electoral contest in Tamil Nadu. He said the moment reflected public hunger for change, while stressing that building a party takes years of understanding people's expectations.
Actor and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Pawan Kalyan spoke about actor-turned-chief minister Vijay’s rise in Tamil Nadu politics, saying he felt "jealous", in a light-hearted way, after Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as a credible alternative in its first-ever electoral contest. Speaking at an event, Kalyan said Vijay’s party won using cutouts and holograms, whereas he had roamed the streets for 15 years.
His remarks came amid continued comparisons online between Pawan Kalyan and Vijay after Vijay became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Pawan also reflected on his own long political journey and said that running a party requires a deep understanding of the expectations of lakhs of people.
Pawan Kalyan’s remarks
During the event, Pawan said, "I look at Tamil politics these days, they’ve done it so carefree. I felt jealous. They won using cutouts and holograms happily. I roamed on the streets for 15 years but... (laughs). I am joking."
He added, "But we do need to think humanely. You need so much knowledge to say anything. Why did I struggle so much for 15 years? Because to run a party you need to understand the expectations of lakhs of people."
Chiranjeevi’s call with Vijay
On Friday, Chiranjeevi’s team said the actor had a warm and cordial phone call with Vijay a day earlier. In a note, the team said Chiranjeevi congratulated Vijay on taking office as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and expressed the hope that he would stay in the hearts of the people through people-centric governance. The note added that he wished Vijay would receive the affection of the masses in the way legendary actor-politician MGR once did.
The same note said Vijay thanked Chiranjeevi for backing him during the piracy issue linked to Jana Nayagan. It added that Vijay had watched Chiranjeevi’s recent release, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, and was delighted to see him on screen. Vijay also wished him well for his upcoming film under the KVN Productions banner, the same banner that backed his last film, Jana Nayagan.
Attention around TVK
Vijay launched TVK in 2024, just two years before the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. The party then defeated the DMK and the AIADMK, the two Dravidian parties which had dominated Tamil Nadu politics since the 60s. His rise has placed him alongside actor-turned-political leaders such as NT Rama Rao, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
Support and engagement from the film industry have also kept attention on Vijay’s political journey. Actor and BJP member Khushbu Sundar recently met him at the Secretariat as president of the Small Screen Producers Council. After the meeting, she said she felt very emotional seeing him as Chief Minister and described the interaction as warm, cordial and respectful.
Actor and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Pawan Kalyan spoke about actor-turned-chief minister Vijay’s rise in Tamil Nadu politics, saying he felt "jealous", in a light-hearted way, after Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as a credible alternative in its first-ever electoral contest. Speaking at an event, Kalyan said Vijay’s party won using cutouts and holograms, whereas he had roamed the streets for 15 years.
His remarks came amid continued comparisons online between Pawan Kalyan and Vijay after Vijay became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Pawan also reflected on his own long political journey and said that running a party requires a deep understanding of the expectations of lakhs of people.
Pawan Kalyan’s remarks
During the event, Pawan said, "I look at Tamil politics these days, they’ve done it so carefree. I felt jealous. They won using cutouts and holograms happily. I roamed on the streets for 15 years but... (laughs). I am joking."
He added, "But we do need to think humanely. You need so much knowledge to say anything. Why did I struggle so much for 15 years? Because to run a party you need to understand the expectations of lakhs of people."
Chiranjeevi’s call with Vijay
On Friday, Chiranjeevi’s team said the actor had a warm and cordial phone call with Vijay a day earlier. In a note, the team said Chiranjeevi congratulated Vijay on taking office as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and expressed the hope that he would stay in the hearts of the people through people-centric governance. The note added that he wished Vijay would receive the affection of the masses in the way legendary actor-politician MGR once did.
The same note said Vijay thanked Chiranjeevi for backing him during the piracy issue linked to Jana Nayagan. It added that Vijay had watched Chiranjeevi’s recent release, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, and was delighted to see him on screen. Vijay also wished him well for his upcoming film under the KVN Productions banner, the same banner that backed his last film, Jana Nayagan.
Attention around TVK
Vijay launched TVK in 2024, just two years before the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. The party then defeated the DMK and the AIADMK, the two Dravidian parties which had dominated Tamil Nadu politics since the 60s. His rise has placed him alongside actor-turned-political leaders such as NT Rama Rao, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
Support and engagement from the film industry have also kept attention on Vijay’s political journey. Actor and BJP member Khushbu Sundar recently met him at the Secretariat as president of the Small Screen Producers Council. After the meeting, she said she felt very emotional seeing him as Chief Minister and described the interaction as warm, cordial and respectful.
