Ram Gopal Varma Shares Rare Photo of Young Thalapathy Vijay With Former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi After Actor’s Election Win (View Post)
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma sparked a social media frenzy by sharing a rare throwback photo of a young Vijay standing behind the late M Karunanidhi, provocatively claiming that the DMK patriarch could never have imagined the 'kid behind him' would eventually dismantle his party's dominance.
As the dust settles on a transformative election in Tamil Nadu, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) has sparked a massive online debate by sharing a rare archival photograph of a young Vijay with the late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. The post, shared on Tuesday, juxtaposes Vijay’s teenage years with his current status as the man who disrupted the DMK’s decades-long political dominance. Who Is Sangeetha Sornalingam? TVK Chief Thalapathy Vijay's Wife Files for Legal Separation After 27 Years.
Ram Gopal Varma Says Thalapathy Vijay Destroyed DMK in Tamil Nadu
The photograph, which appears to be from a ribbon-cutting ceremony decades ago, shows a teenage Vijay standing quietly behind Karunanidhi (popularly known as Kalaignar). Also present in the frame are Vijay’s parents, filmmaker SA Chandrasekhar and Shoba Chandrasekhar.
Sharing the image on X (formerly Twitter), RGV provided a sharp commentary on the political shift, writing, "Kalaignar wouldn’t have dreamed that the kid behind him would one day destroy his party."The post quickly went viral, with supporters of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) viewing it as a testament to their leader's journey from a silent observer to a political powerhouse. Critics, however, have labelled the "destroyed" remark as premature, given the complexities of forming a new government.
Ram Gopal Varma Shares Old Photo of Vijay and Karunanidhi
Kalaingar wouldn’t have dreamed that the kid behind him would one day destroy his party 🙏👍🔥 pic.twitter.com/7NNp6Ge73S
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 5, 2026
A Seismic Shift in Tamil Nadu
The filmmaker’s comments come on the heels of the 2026 Assembly election results, where the TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats. The victory represents a historic blow to the DMK, which saw its seat count plummet to 59, losing nearly 74 constituencies compared to the previous election. For over 60 years, Tamil Nadu politics has been a binary contest between the DMK and AIADMK. Vijay’s successful debut as a "third force" has effectively broken this cycle, positioning him as the likely next Chief Minister of the state.
The Legacy of Karunanidhi
The comparison is particularly poignant given M Karunanidhi's stature. As a five-time Chief Minister and the leader of the DMK for five decades, Karunanidhi was the architect of modern Dravidian politics. By contrast, Vijay’s campaign was built on a platform of "secular social justice" while explicitly targeting the DMK as his primary "political enemy."
RGV’s post highlights the irony of a youth from a cinema-centric family once photographed in the shadow of a political giant now leading the movement that has unseated that giant’s successors.
TVK's Path to Government Formation
While the TVK’s performance has been described as a "political blockbuster," the party remains 10 seats short of the 118-seat majority required to form a government independently. As the May 10 deadline for the current Assembly tenure approaches, Vijay is expected to meet with party functionaries today to discuss potential allies. DYK Thalapathy Vijay Is a Big Shah Rukh Khan Fan? Know What TVK Chief Said About SRK in Old Interview.
While the TVK has ruled out any partnership with the BJP, the coming days will reveal how the "kid from the photograph" navigates the practical challenges of building a stable coalition in a new era of Tamil Nadu governance.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2026 08:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
