A day after Vijay swore in as the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu, his speech at the occasion hasn’t gone down well with some critics. These include renowned author and screenwriter Manu Joseph. He took to his X handle on Monday to call out Vijay’s hypocrisy of claiming to be poor during childhood, revealing that he’s known the Tamil superstar since they were batchmates in the third standard at Loyola school in Chennai.
“In his first speech as Tamil Nadu chief minister, Vijay said that he grew up in poverty, and that he even knows what hunger is. It’s bullsh*t because he was my classmate in the third standard in Loyola School. His father was a filmmaker who set up his son for a career in films,” wrote Joseph, pointing to Vijay’s father and veteran filmmaker SA Chandrasekhar.
“It is possible that like most filmmakers his father may have had periods of financial strife but that’s not the same as Tamil-grade poverty. A lot of affluent boys confuse being broke with poverty. Two very different things,” wrote Joseph, adding, “The great bulls of our era are rags-to-riches stories.” Chandrasekhar was mostly an assistant director till Vijay’s birth in 1974, and turned director only in 1978.
In his first speech as Tamil Nadu chief minister, Vijay said that he grew up in poverty, and that he even knows what hunger is. It’s bullshit because he was my classmate in the third standard in Loyola School.
His father was a filmmaker who set up his son for a career in films.…— Manu Joseph (@manujosephsan) May 11, 2026
Vijay made his debut as a child actor in his father’s 1984 action crime film Vetri. He continued to star in Chandrasekhar’s films as a child before getting his break as a lead actor with the 1992 vigilante action film Naalaiya Theerpu. While that turned out to be a box-office disaster, the father-son duo bounced back with the 1993 action romance Senthoorapandi.
Vijay’s poverty claims
During his maiden speech as the Tamil Nadu chief minister on Sunday, Vijay said he was well aware about poverty and hunger as he was born as the son of an ordinary assistant film director who aspired to win in cinema by working hard. “I know what is poverty and what is hunger. I do not have a royal ancestry. I am like you, I am one among you. I am like your son, like your brother,” said the actor.
Vijay was sworn-in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, after his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won the April 23 polls and clinched outside support to cross the 118 majority mark. Vijay added that since the people too felt that Vijay was one among them, they gave him the top position in cinema, and now when he entered politics to repay debt of gratitude to people, they accepted his leadership with love and gave their unwavering support.
“I know what poverty and hunger is.”
“Not born in a royal family, I am like your son, your brother, I am your Thambi,” says Vijay after taking oath as Tamil Nadu CM, as he delivers his first speech.
The 1st set of documents Vijay signed included:
1. 200 units of free power… pic.twitter.com/bzusqzHbCy
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) May 10, 2026
Vijay said that in his political journey, he and his supporters endured many difficulties and humiliations throughout. Thanking the people for standing with him through hardships and insults, he said he too was an ordinary man living a normal life and not an angel. “As I have said before, I will not touch even a single paisa from the people’s money. It is not necessary for me either and you know that very well. Vijay will not indulge in delinquency and will also not allow others do it. It may be anyone, including those with me in my government, I will not allow,” added Vijay.
Also Read: Trisha attends Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony. Watch video
Who is Manu Joseph?
A former journalist, Manu Joseph also hails from a film family. His father Joseph Madappally directed the 1987 Malayalam film Thoranam. Now a resident of Delhi, he turned author with the 2010 bestseller Serious Men, which was adapted by Sudhir Mishra into a 2020 Netflix India film starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He’s also the creator and writer of Netflix India’s 2021 dramedy show Decoupled, starring R Madhavan. Joseph returned with a book on poverty last year that led to controversy as well — Why The Poor Don’t Kill Us.
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