Making a sudden U-turn, director and producer SA Chandrasekar, father of actor Vijay, has now written to the Election Commission (EC) to not register his son’s fan club as a political party. On November 5, SAC, as he’s also known as, had submitted an application to the EC to register Vijay’s fan club as ‘All India Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam.’ While SAC had said that registering the political party did not mean contesting in upcoming elections, the reason for the latest withdrawal is yet unknown.
SAC’s letter to the EC two weeks ago had caused a great ripple in Tamil Nadu’s film and political circles. The actor’s immediate disassociation from his father’s announcement added more sensation to the news. While Vijay has been making political statements during his film’s audio launches, a trend that began only recently, the actor has not hinted at taking the political plunge.
Vijay has a well-oiled ‘rasigar mandram’ (fan club) turned ‘makkal iyakkam’ (people’s organisation) spread across the state with members actively involved in social work.
While the actor had immediately distanced himself from his father’s announcement, asking his fans to not join the political party being started in his name or involve themselves in any way, SAC maintained, in interviews, that he had his son’s best interests at heart for doing so.
“Many youngsters are doing several good things in Vijay’s name. I want them to have some recognition. Hence the move,” he told Puthiya Thalaimurai soon after making the announcement on November 5.
When controversy broke after Vijay’s statement, SAC said that he had started a fan club for his son way back in 1993 that has been changing with time. "I didn't start it (fan club) after asking him. I wanted my son to reach the greatest heights. I wanted my son to become a great actor and I started it out of my own wish. After a while, that organisation became a welfare one. Then I changed it to an organisation for the people. I have been the founder of the organisation all these years. I didn't ask Vijay when I started the organisation or kept changing it with time. I've been doing all this for his own good," he had said.