India, May 6 -- Before the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026, actor-turned-politician Vijay had promised to change the status quo. He launched his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), just two years before the polls. Few outside the state expected him to make a huge dent in the state's political system, dominated by the DMK and AIADMK for decades. Opinion polls gave TVK fewer than 10 seats and no more than 15% of the vote share. In the end, TVK garnered almost 35% of the total votes and won 108 seats, just 10 shy of a majority. Vijay is now poised to take over as the next Chief Minister, provided he can get outside support before the floor test.

Historically, actors-turned-politicians have done well in the state. MG Ramachandran is th...