Gunjan Chaudhary
Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, popularly known as Thalapathy Vijay, officially took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, marking a historic moment in Tamil politics. However, his maiden speech as Chief Minister has already sparked controversy after author and screenwriter Manu Joseph publicly challenged Vijay’s statements about growing up in poverty. During his inaugural address, Vijay spoke emotionally about hunger, struggle, and understanding poverty firsthand.
Thalapathy Vijay
Thalapathy Vijay’s Statement Created Buzz
The newly elected leader of Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) described himself as the son of a humble filmmaker who achieved success through hard work and perseverance. He also promised transparent governance, declaring that he would neither indulge in corruption nor allow anyone in his administration to do so. However, Vijay’s remarks did not sit well with writer Manu Joseph, who claims to have studied with the actor during childhood.
Thalapathy Vijay
Taking to social media on Monday morning, Manu strongly criticized the Chief Minister’s statement and called it misleading. According to Manu Joseph, Vijay’s portrayal of his upbringing does not reflect reality. The author stated that Vijay was his classmate in the third grade at Loyola School and argued that the actor did not grow up in actual poverty. Manu further pointed out that Vijay’s father, filmmaker S. A. Chandrasekhar, played a major role in helping him establish a successful career in the Tamil film industry.
Manu Joseph
Manu also remarked that there is a significant difference between experiencing temporary financial difficulties and living in real poverty. He suggested that many financially secure individuals often confuse being broke with being genuinely poor, especially in comparison to the hardships faced by economically weaker communities in Tamil Nadu.
Vijay
The controversy has quickly gained attention online, with social media users divided over Manu Joseph’s comments. While some supported his argument about privilege and political narratives, others defended Vijay, stating that personal struggles can exist even within relatively stable families. Apart from being an author, Manu Joseph is also known for his work in films and streaming content. His acclaimed novel Serious Men was adapted into a Netflix film starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui in 2020. He also created the popular Netflix series Decoupled and wrote the story for the film Love Khichdi. His latest book, Why the Poor Don’t Kill Us, was published in 2025.