As Thalapathy Vijay prepares for a decisive shift from cinema to politics, questions around power, resistance and preparedness have begun to surface. Actor and producer Vishal, who is also the General Secretary of the South Indian Artistes’ Association (SIAA), believes the signs were always there. Drawing from Vijay’s past confrontations with political authority and the changing nature of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, Vishal doesn’t romanticise the crossover. The actor, who has also been the president of Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC) in the past, says that politics is a brutal, all-consuming entity where fame alone won’t translate into votes.

Vijay seems to be facing political pushback early on in his political career. How do you see this phase?

This is the world of politics. If you choose to enter politics, you have to experience it fully ‒ the good, the bad and the ugly. This isn’t new for Vijay. He faced similar challenges even during Jayalalitha Ma’am’s time. There was a film titled Thalaivaa (2013) that wasn’t allowed to release. He had to travel all the way to Kodaikanal and stand there in protest without permission. It created complete chaos. Vijay has already tasted this water. Politics is a completely different ball game. When you stand up against giants, you have to be ready for everything. Everyone will have an agenda.

Is politics especially tough for creative people like actors?

No, not necessarily. But you have to be a tough creative person. You also need to be strong off-screen. Only then will it intimidate these old-timers in politics.

Southern stars entering politics was once a powerful tradition. Has that changed?

That tradition, that era more or less ended with Jayalalitha Ma’am and Karunanidhi. It’s been extremely difficult after that. Today’s politics is very different. Earlier, there was only Doordarshan and ANI. Now there are 300 microphones, social media scrutiny and constant noise of the many things you have to face. On-screen and off-screen are two very different worlds. Tomorrow, an artiste may draw a huge crowd at a rally, but it doesn’t mean that crowd will turn into votes. So, when you are getting onto the road, you have to make sure that you’re on the road. Half-baked politics won’t work.

What is your message to Vijay at this stage?

My blessings and best wishes are always with Vijay. What we are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll have to wait and watch. Cinema and politics are completely different. You can’t juggle both simultaneously, because you won’t be able to do justice to either. There are thousands of villages in Tamil Nadu. You have to go down to each and every village, get to know the place, understand its people, and connect with them. This isn’t the politics of the past. Today, you have to be a tough, resilient politician.