Revelling in the power of visual politics

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is a man of few words, say those who have met him in person. He prefers to listen rather than speak. He is perhaps the only major political leader in the State who has consistently avoided the media and has not held a press conference since launching the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) throughout his election campaign or even after assuming office as Chief Minister.

It is not that he is incapable of engaging in political discourse. When he is thoroughly prepared and rises to address the Assembly or a public meeting, he is capable of delivering speeches, often launching sharp attacks on his political adversaries. Of course, it is peppered with colloquial words and usages that may appeal to his film fans but would make some squirm. Mr. Vijay appears acutely aware that, whether he speaks sparingly or at length, every word serves a political purpose. This marks a striking transformation of a film actor who chose to remain silent in the aftermath of the Karur stampede at his rally last year.

Digital dominance

A close observer of social media will notice how virtually anything connected with the Chief Minister goes viral within minutes. The TVK’s well-organised digital machinery amplifies posts relating to Mr. Vijay across multiple platforms, ensuring they reach a vast audience. He has nearly 8,97,000 followers on X through his official TVK account and about 2.3 million followers on his Chief Minister’s account and 4.1 million followers on Instagram.

Critical comments about Mr. Vijay or his government often trigger swift rebuttals from his supporters, while the Opposition just as quickly contests praise for the Chief Minister. The resulting online exchanges are often intense, underscoring Mr. Vijay’s larger-than-life presence in the digital sphere. The phenomenon extends well beyond social media. Media reports on the Chief Minister — even routine accounts of the functions he attends — generate unusual public interest. His political persona has created a level of engagement rarely witnessed in Tamil Nadu politics, signalling a new phase in the interaction between politics, traditional media and social media.

One of the highest-paid actors before entering politics, Mr. Vijay built his cinematic career largely on films that projected him as an invincible hero. That image has proved to be a political asset in Tamil Nadu, where cinema and politics have long shared an intimate relationship. 

Even the Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, acted in films before entering active politics, recognising cinema’s unparalleled ability to build public visibility. However, almost all their predecessors combined their film careers with gradual political involvement over many years. Mr. Vijay’s trajectory has been remarkably different. He announced his decision to launch a political party, formally established the TVK, campaigned across Tamil Nadu, contested the Assembly election and became Chief Minister — all within an extraordinarily short span of time.

Such a rapid ascent to the highest elected office is without precedent in the history of the Dravidian movement. It marks the emergence of a leader who converted immense cinematic popularity into political power with remarkable speed.

As Chief Minister, he has adapted the art of commanding public attention, honed during his years as a film actor, to the realm of politics. When he flagged off vehicles of the health department, he took the wheel himself for a short distance, sitting alongside commuters while launching buses. The video clip achieved what a costly advertising campaign or a lengthy government press release could scarcely have accomplished. When chess grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa called on him, a chessboard had been arranged in advance and the two played a few moves, producing another widely shared visual. On another occasion, while visiting the Nemmeli desalination plant, he drank a glass of the purified water before the cameras. Later, while launching a public distribution initiative, he briefly assumed the role of a ration shop salesman. 

Whether spontaneous or carefully choreographed, such visual moments have demonstrated Mr. Vijay’s instinctive understanding of the power of political imagery in the age of social media. He revels in the power of visual politics.