Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor C Joseph Vijay waved the ceremonial green flag at the Le Mans race in Silverstone, England, last Saturday. Ajith Kumar took part in the race with his team. Joining them were Trisha Krishnan and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) minister Aadhav Arjuna. It sparked a major row with opposition parties who questioned the transparency, public expenditure, and actual intent of the maiden overseas trip.
Meanwhile, sports commentators compared the stars to Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise to explain their stardom to those who were not aware. They also expressed hope that after Brad Pitt’s F1 movie, Ajith would star in a film exploring F2 racing. Last seen in Vidaamuyarchi and Good Bad Ugly with Trisha, he has Dare Devil lined up next.
Vijay’s last film was Jana Nayagan, which was released in theatres in July 23, after delays from censorship issues and an online leak.
Actor Prakash Raj has called for a one-year grace period for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s government, saying it is too early to assess its performance after just 120 days in office. It has been only 120 days, so we cannot arrive at any conclusion now. But they have won and formed the government.
Because we do not like those in power, we should not rush to criticise them, just. He should be given more time. At least one year should be allowed before commenting on the performance of his government. I have several doubts about Vijay. We have to give them time. If they do not perform properly even after one year, I will question them. He went on to add, “I am waiting until the first Budget. There is no need to criticise them immediately. We must respect democracy and the people… There is nothing wrong in him going abroad and meeting his friend Ajith. What I would look at is whether he accomplished the purpose for which he went.
Speaking to the media in Tiruchirappalli, where he was participating in various programmes, Prakash Raj said Vijay should be given sufficient time to work. He said, “Vijay is the Chief Minister not only for those who voted for him but also for those who did not vote for him. He has said that he has brought in investments worth several thousand crores.”
I had spoken about them even before the election.
When fans even began chanting ‘TVK’ from the stands, Vijay could be seen gesturing, asking them to cheer for Ajith instead. After flagging off the race, the CM-actor watched it from a balcony where he was joined by Trisha Krishnan and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Aadhav Arjuna.
Before the race, Vijay ran towards Ajith with a broad smile to hug him, and videos of the moment have now gone viral. Trisha was also spotted joining Vijay and Ajith at their tent before the race began.
