Superstar C Joseph Vijay is the chief minister of Tamil Nadu today, having walked away from movies at the peak of his career. His co-star Samantha Ruth Prabhu , who is currently hosting Celebrity MasterChef Tamil, was all praise for him on the show. When asked about her favourite co-star, she called Vijay her ‘lucky charm’ and praised him for being a hard worker.
In a first for Tamil Nadu, his party became the first non-Dravidian party to be voted into power. He took charge as the state’s CM in May this year. His final film, Jana Nayagan, which was scheduled to release in theatres for Pongal, was delayed by the CBFC. It finally hit screens in July and performed well at the box office despite lukewarm reviews from critics.
In 2024, Vijay officially announced his political entry and launched his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
I worked with him in three superhits,” she said, talking about Kaththi (2014), Theri (2016) and Mersal (2017). All three films were commercially successful, grossing over ₹ 100 crore worldwide, with Mersal grossing over ₹ 250 crore. Vijay made his debut on-screen as a child actor in 1984 with Vetri, directed by his father, SA Chandrasekhar . His debut as a lead was in 1992 with Naalaiya Theerpu, which was directed by his father and produced by his mother, Shoba. His first commercial blockbuster was with Coimbatore Mappillai in 1996, and there was no looking back after.
In an upcoming episode, when RJ Vijay asked Samantha during the Hero vs Villain challenge who her favourite star was, she replied that her fondness for Vijay is well known. “He is my lucky charm. When Vijay retired from films, he was at the top of his career, with his film Leo among Kollywood’s highest-grossers of all time.
Samantha also spoke about Vijay’s political journey after stepping away from movies. He is an inspiration as a person. However, Samantha remarked that Vijay ventured into politics at the right time.
Produced by Endemol Shine India, Celebrity MasterChef Tamil airs Monday to Friday at 8 PM on Sony VIZHA and streams on Sony LIV.
Crores of fans, and to choose to be a leader, to choose governance, quiet, focused, and working so hard behind the scenes,” said the actor, adding, “Walking away from cinema at the peak of one’s career to enter politics is not an easy decision.
