Throwback to when Thalapathy Vijay's 'Thalaivaa' created political chaos and why

With no choice left, Vijay issued an emotional video message, calling upon the Chief Minister for protection and asking fans to remain patient.

Seven years ago, Thalapathy Vijay's Thalaivaa was not just a movie—but a political thriller that played out off-screen, making the front pages for all the wrong reasons.

Directed by AL Vijay, the film was to have a grand release on August 9, 2013. But while it was on the big screen across the globe, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remained in the dark. Why? A controversial tagline, bomb threats, and the political chaos that nobody anticipated.

The tagline of the film, 'Time to Lead', sat ill with the then AIADMK government under Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Speculation had it that the slogan was perceived as a challenge to her leadership.

And to add to their woes, a few Chennai theaters received bomb threats from an unidentified group, prompting the state government to refuse protection for screening the movie.

Chaos did not end there. Vijay's father, SA Chandrashekhar, and his political aspirations at the cost of his son were also attributed to the controversy.

The government is blamed for delaying the release of the film by denying security cover, forcing the team to remove the tagline, and withholding entertainment tax concessions. It was a classic case of politics and cinema coming at loggerheads.

In a desperate bid to resolve the issue, Vijay, director AL Vijay, and producer Chandraprakash Jain took an unscheduled journey to Kodanadu hoping to meet Jayalalithaa. They were, however, turned down.

With no choice left, Vijay issued an emotional video message, calling upon the Chief Minister for protection and asking fans to remain patient.

Despite the obstacles, Thalaivaa was released worldwide on August 9 (except Tamil Nadu and Puducherry) and was well received.

The plot of Vishwa (Vijay), a character who seeks revenge for his father's murder while acquiring his gang in Mumbai, is full of action, emotion, and drama.

Despite a delayed release in the home state, the movie fared well at the box office and even bagged the Favourite Film of the Year award in 2013.

In hindsight, Thalaivaa was not just a movie—it was an epic of endurance, of politics, and of the influence of the film industry.

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The melodrama on screen was a soap opera in itself, proof that life sometimes can be more exciting than a work of fiction-based art form, and for Thalapathy Vijay, it was the vindication of his standing as a film star and that of his support system, for the fans who stood by him till the end.

His upcoming film, provisionally named Thalapathy 69, will be helmed by H Vinoth and will be produced by KVN Productions and music by the rockstar of the moment Anirudh. The movie will hit the theatres in October 2025 in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.