Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s rise from cinema superstar to the state’s top political post may appear remarkable, but according to his mother, Shoba Chandrasekhar, the journey was far from easy. In an interview, Shoba reflected on the challenges her son faced after entering politics and revealed that there were moments during the election campaign when he was affected by the intense pressure and criticism surrounding him.
Her comments come weeks after Vijay took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Shoba had earlier become emotional while heading to the swearing-in ceremony, calling it the “best Mother’s Day gift”.
Speaking about Vijay’s transition from films to politics with Thanthi TV, she admitted that she was worried about how he would navigate the highly competitive political environment.
“I was very scared. He had stepped into a very difficult space, and I didn’t know how he would handle it. If you think about it, there was hardly any support for him. He had to face everything on his own, which made it even more difficult. There were moments when I wondered why he chose this path despite knowing the challenges that would come with it. I never shared my fears with him. At that time, he was deeply upset, but he eventually overcame it and moved forward,” she said.
Shoba also drew parallels between Vijay’s political journey and the struggles he encountered at the beginning of his acting career. “He faced constant criticism, but he turned every negative into a positive and worked his way towards success,” she said.
Vijay formally entered politics in 2024 with the launch of his party, TVK. Within two years, the party emerged as a major political force in Tamil Nadu. In its first Assembly election, TVK won 108 seats and became the single-largest party.
The actor-turned-politician later secured support from the Indian National Congress, VCK, IUML, CPI and CPI(M), helping the alliance reach 120 legislators and form the government.
Vijay was sworn in as Tamil Nadu’s ninth Chief Minister on May 10 at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
