From fighting corruption on screen to launching a political party of his own, Tamil superstar Vijay’s career path, both on and off screen, has flirted with the idea of a political awakening. As the actor prepares to enter the electoral battleground with his newly-formed party Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, we revisit six of his films that turned the spotlight on systemic rot.
Thamizhan (2002)
Before Vijay found his footing as the quintessential mass hero, he played Surya, a happy-go-lucky law student in debutant director Majith’s Thamizhan. Surya doesn’t take his career seriously until he loses a loved one to an act of institutional negligence. Surya now decides to reform the system using the law itself as a weapon.
What begins as a one-man mission to seek justice quickly snowballs into a national movement.
Majith laces the narrative with courtroom drama and social commentary.
Streaming on: Sun NXT
Thalaivaa (2013)
In Thalaivaa, Vijay plays Vishwa, a carefree dancer living in Sydney, unaware that his estranged father Ramadurai (Sathyaraj) is a revered local leader in Mumbai’s slums. When Vishwa returns to India with his girlfriend Meera (Amala Paul) to seek Ramadurai’s blessings for their marriage, he is drawn into a violent vortex after his father is murdered.
Forced to abandon his pacifist life, Vishwa steps up to carry forward his father’s legacy by taking on local politicians, gangsters, and exploitative businessmen, all while donning the mantle of Thalaivaa (leader).
The film’s poster carrying the message “Time to Lead” did not sit well with the ruling AIADMK, delaying the A. L Vijay directorial’s Tamil Nadu release.
Streaming on: Prime Video
Kaththi (2014)
Director A.R. Murugadoss cast Vijay in a double role — Kathiresan, a small-time criminal on the run, and Jeevanandham, a jailed activist fighting for a village — in Kaththi.
When Jeevanandham is attacked and left for dead, Kathiresan assumes his identity to escape the law. But what starts as an act of deception evolves into an awakening. As Kathiresan learns about a ground water scam in the village, he takes up the fight for their land and water, rallying students, media, and the public against the corporate Goliath.
One of the most iconic scenes of the film is a monologue by Vijay that lambasts corporate greed and state apathy.
Streaming on: Apple TV+
Mersal (2017)
Atlee’s Mersal gave Vijay three roles — a magician, a doctor, and a revenge-seeking brother. The story follows Maaran, an idealistic doctor disillusioned by the private healthcare industry. After he is framed and arrested, the narrative shifts to his brother Vetri, a stage magician, who begins to uncover the systemic rot in the healthcare sector.
Through flashbacks, we learn that Vetri’s mother died due to a botched surgery caused by medical negligence, prompting their lifelong mission to bring corrupt doctors to justice.
But it wasn’t the fictional doctors who were enraged. A throwaway line in the climax, questioning the efficacy of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and asking why India lacks free healthcare like Singapore, sparked a real-life political row. BJP leaders accused Vijay of inciting hate and launched personal attacks against him.
Streaming on: Netflix
Sarkar (2018)
Vijay plays Sundar Ramasamy, a globe-trotting corporate raider in A.R. Murugadoss-directed Sarkar. Sundar returns to Chennai to vote, only to discover that his vote has already been cast. Enraged, he investigates the scam and discovers a wider network of electoral fraud, including impersonation, coercion, and bogus voting.
Sundar decides to challenge the system head-on by contesting the election as an independent candidate. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between Sundar and the ruling party, led by Masilamani (Pala Karuppiah).
While Sundar battled against the corrupt system on screen, the film faced protests off screen. AIADMK cadres staged protests against the film and police complaints were filed against the makers.
Streaming on: Sun NXT
Master (2021)
In Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Master, Vijay plays JD, a laid-back professor with a drinking problem, posted at a juvenile correctional facility. Here, the villain is Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi), a gangster who grooms young offenders to do his bidding.
JD, initially a reluctant teacher, becomes a mentor-figure for the inmates at the correctional facility, slowly winning the trust of the children and taking on the system that allows their exploitation.
Master may lack overt political messaging, but it’s deeply rooted in social rehabilitation, youth reform, and systemic accountability.
Streaming on: Prime Video