Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has made an emotional appeal in Virudhunagar, seeking votes not only for his own DMK‑led alliance but also for the memory of veteran actor‑politician Captain Vijayakanth, whose son Vijay Prabhakaran is now contesting from the Virudhunagar Assembly constituency. In a campaign speech that drew strong crowds, Stalin reminisced about his long‑standing association with Vijayakanth, calling him “my dear friend” and drawing explicit parallels between the support he once gave the Captain and the solidarity he now offers his son.
Stalin’s “my dear friend” moment
Addressing a packed rally in Virudhunagar, Stalin recounted how he had earlier campaigned for Vijayakanth in a movie highlighting the bond between them as politicians and Tamil‑film personalities. The moment he used the phrase “my dear friend Vijayakanth” triggered a visibly warm reaction from the audience, with many in the crowd chanting the Captain’s name and recalling his screen persona as a “commando” or “Captain” who blended action stardom with a distinct brand of populist politics.
Stalin acted and sang in the Vijayakanth starrer ‘Makkal Aanaiyittal’, a 1988 movie. In the movie, MK Stalin has acted as a representative who campaigns for Vijayakanth in the elections. MK Stalin fondly recalled Kalaignar Karunanidhi has indeed penned the lyrics for the song in the film.
Stalin framed the vote for Vijay Prabhakaran not merely as an electoral choice but as a way of honouring the late leader’s legacy, arguing that the younger Vijay Prabhakaran has inherited both his father’s values and his people‑centric approach.
Bridging past and present in Virudhunagar
The Virudhunagar contest is significant for the DMK because it pits the party’s ally, Vijay Prabhakaran (standing as an independent backed by the DMK coalition), against a range of rivals, including candidates from the AIADMK‑led NDA and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam‑centred fronts. In his public interactions, Stalin has emphasised that the region has a history of embracing Vijayakanth’s image and films, and he is now urging residents to “continue the relationship” by supporting the son as the heir‑in‑spirit, if not in party label.
At the same time, the Chief Minister has also evoked Vijayakanth’s iconic screen roles, drawing on the crowd’s familiarity with the actor’s commando‑hero image to drive home a message of resilience and protection both on film and, by implication, in governance. For the people of Virudhunagar, Stalin’s invocation of a departed leader married the sentimental pull of cinema‑memory with the practical question of which alliance can deliver the best mix of welfare schemes, development and political stability in the coming term.
Why this memory‑laden pitch matters
By personally recalling moments with Vijayakanth and wrapping his campaign around the phrase “my dear friend,” Stalin is trying to do more than just win Virudhunagar; he is signalling that the DMK respects the distinct legacy of the Captain while still positioning itself as the main pole of Tamil‑centric, Dravidian‑leaning politics. The speech also underscores how, in Tamil Nadu, film‑fame‑driven memories can be as potent as party‑branding, and leaders often mine actor‑politician nostalgia to add emotional heft to their electoral appeals.
For Vijay Prabhakaran, having the state CM not only campaign for him but also explicitly invoke his late father’s name in a public rally is a powerful boost, potentially converting lingering Captain‑fan loyalty into concrete votes in the April 23 election.
-Samuthiran
