New Delhi/Chennai, June 22 (IANS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday wished Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on his birthday and wished him a long and healthy life.
PM Narendra Modi wrote on social media platform ‘X’, “Birthday greetings to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru C. Joseph Vijay. I wish him a long and healthy life.”
Born on 22 June 1974 in Chennai, Vijay is an actor turned politician and currently serves as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Before entering politics, he was one of the most successful and influential stars of Tamil cinema and fans call him ‘Thalapathy’.
Vijay’s full name is Joseph Vijay Chandrashekhar. He is the film producer S.A. Chandrashekhar is the son of singer Shobha Chandrashekhar. He started his acting career as a child artist in the film ‘Vetri’ (1984), directed by his father, and later emerged as a major star in the Tamil film industry.
Vijay established himself as one of the biggest names in South Indian cinema. Films like ‘Khushi’, ‘Thirumalai’, ‘Ghilli’, ‘Pokkiri’ and ‘Sarkar’ contributed significantly to his popularity. Although he initially gained recognition for romantic roles, he later molded himself as an action star, known for playing characters fighting for social and political justice.
Due to his immense popularity among fans, he was often compared to great Tamil actors who had successfully entered politics. The political themes in many of his films were seen as indicative of his future political intentions.
In 2024, Vijay formed the ‘Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam’ (TVK) party and formally entered politics. The party performed brilliantly in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and emerged as the largest party in the state. TVK won 108 out of 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
When the seats fell short of the majority mark, TVK formed an alliance with Congress and other parties. After this, Joseph Vijay took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 10 May.
–IANS
DCH/
