The Tamil megastar, Thalapathy Vijay left a major mark at the box office with the success of his films, Varisu and Leo, in 2023. It was in May 2023 when he announced his next film, The Greatest of All Time, which will hit theatres in 2024. However, it was on February 2, 2024, when Vijay shared a statement that broke the headlines as he announced that his next film, The Greatest of All Time, would be his last film.
The iconic actor, Thalapathy Vijay left everyone shocked by clearly stating that he would leave acting to get into politics with a 'long-term intention'. Not only this, Vijay rubbished the rumours of joining a political party. Instead, he announced the formation of his own political party by the name Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, aka TVK (Tamil Nadu's Victory Party).
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Sharing the reason behind his decision to quit acting when he was at the peak of his career, Thalapathy Vijay stated that he wants to help the people of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil community, who have given him so much love all these years.
The South Indian megastar also confirmed that he will be contesting in the 2026 state legislative assembly elections. Now that Thalapathy Vijay has announced his decision to leave acting, his massive fanbase aims to make his last film, The Greatest of All Time, an all-time blockbuster, as a tribute to their favourite actor.
It'll be interesting to see how everything will unfold in the coming months, as The Greatest of All Time is reportedly all set to hit theatres in July 2024. The science-fiction drama is directed by Venkat Prabhu, and it has a star-studded cast featuring Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Sneha, Mohan, Jayaram, and more. Well, the decision of Thalapathy Vijay to quit acting and become a politician is not something we are witnessing for the first time.
Over the decades, we have seen many South Indian megastars leaving their illustrious acting careers behind to become politicians to serve the society. Today, we are going to take a look at some of the most famous South Indian actors, who bid farewell to their successful acting careers and served society as politicians. So, without further ado, let's get straight into it!
Late legendary actor, Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandrana, commonly known as MGR, is still considered as one of the finest actors ever born in India. He gained immense success and stardom after the release of his film, Malaikkalan.
While he was ruling the box office with the success of hit films like Ulagam Sutrum Valiban, MGR was also quite active in politics. It was in 1972 when he founded the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The actor-turned-politician served for 10 years as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 to 1987.
National Award-Winning actor Suresh Gopi predominantly worked in the Malayalam film industry, but his craft has won audiences' hearts across India. With so many commercially successful films like Garudan, Detective, Bharathchandran I.P.S., Janakan, Rashtram, The Address, and many more in his career, he proved the mettle of his craft time and again in his career spanning more than four decades.
However, back in October 2016, Suresh Gopi joined the BJP and received mixed views when he informed his fans and everyone about the same. Not only this, he also fought in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Thrissur constituency as a BJP candidate.
Pawan Kalyan is considered as one of the biggest stars in India. With her work in films like Gabbar Singh, Vakeel Saab, Balu, Suswagatham, Puli, and so many other blockbuster movies, he has cemented his status among the greats of Indian cinema.
However, it was in 2008 when Pawan Kalyan decided to give it back to the society and entered into politics as the President of his brother, Chiranjeevi Konidela's party, Praja Rajyam's youth wing. However, in 2014, Pawan Kalyan formed his own party by the name JanaSena Party.
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Another movie star on the list, whose demise left a big void both in cinema and politics, is the late legendary actor, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR. The Telugu megastar got a lot of recognition after he played a deity on the silver screen in some of his films.
For the unversed, NTR worked in over 300 movies throughout his acting career. Not only this, he joined politics in 1982 and founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Due to his humble nature and work on the ground level, he also served as the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh three times.
Iconic actor, Chiranjeevi Konidela needs no introduction, as it was in January 2024 when he received the prestigious Padma Vibhushan Award from the government of India for his contribution to cinema. While everyone is aware of his illustrious career, only a few people know that Chiranjeevi formed his own political party in 2008 by the name Praja Rajyam.
Later in his political career, he became a member of the Indian National Congress and also merged his party, Praja Rajyam, with it. Not only this, Chiranjeevi has served as the Minister of State with independent charge for the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
The National Award-winning actor Kamal Haasan's love for cinema is quite well-known. Over the decades, he has worked in a series of blockbuster films and created his own genre in the South Indian film industry.
Considered among the most versatile actors ever, Kamal Haasan has a series of timeless hits to his name, such as Vishwaroopam, Sathyaa, Chachi 420, Mahanadhi, Vikram, Indian, Nayakan, and many more. However, he has also been quite active in politics. The actor formed his party back in 2018 and named it Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).
Considered as one of the most talented and stunning Indian actresses, Jayaram Jayalalithaa, commonly known as Jayalalithaa worked in over 140 films. She was not just an exceptional actress but a tremendous dancer, too.
It was in 1982 when Jayalalithaa joined AIADMK under the leadership of her mentor, MG Ramachandran. It was in 1991 when she became the youngest Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for six terms.
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It's impossible not to talk about Rajinikanth when we are talking about South Indian cinema. The impact of Rajinikanth across India as a movie star is not something we have witnessed time and again. With so many hit films, and that too in different languages, Rajinikanth is hands down an Indian megastar, who successfully blurred the lines between languages.
Apart from his acting career, Rajinikanth joined politics back in 2017 and formed his own political party, Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM). After a brief political stint of some years, in 2021, Rajinikanth dissolved his political party.
What are your thoughts on prominent South Indian actors joining politics after achieving fame and recognition in their acting careers? Let us know.
Also Read: Expensive Things Owned By Rajinikanth: From Thalaivar's Limousine To His Luxury House In Pose Garden
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