Stood behind Kalaignar once, now destroyed his party: RGV reacts to Vijay's old pic

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma triggered discussion on social media after sharing a throwback photograph of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, popularly known as Kalaignar. Standing behind Karunanidhi is young Vijay, while his parents, SA Chandrasekhar and Shoba were seen accompanying the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The throwback photo has resurfaced after Vijay's TVK defeated MK Stalin-led DMK by a huge margin in their first-ever Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections.

Posting the image on X, Varma wrote, “Kalaignar wouldn’t have dreamed that the kid behind him would one day destroy his party,” leading to widespread reactions. For the unaware, Kalaignar Karunanidhi served DMK for five decades and headed the party (DMK) from 1969 until his death in August 2018.

Here's the photo:

The photograph, which appears to be from a ribbon-cutting ceremony, shows Karunanidhi at the centre with several others around him, including a young boy standing just behind him. Social media users quickly identified the child as actor-turned-politician Vijay, who recently made his electoral debut as the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

The filmmaker’s post drew mixed responses online. While some users viewed it as a sharp comment on Tamil Nadu’s changing political landscape, others called it exaggerated and premature.

Here are some reactions:

Varma’s remark came amid Vijay’s spectacular win in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. The actor formally entered politics in 2024 and contested the 2026 Assembly elections, presenting himself as an alternative to the state’s Dravidian majors, DMK AND AIADMK.

Vijay's TVK won 108 seats in the elections and became the single largest party in Tamil Nadu. However, the party does not have the majority of 118 seats to form the government. Talks with other political parties have commenced and soon some parties, who have won seats in the elections are likely to join Vijay to form the government.