3 min readHyderabadMay 21, 2026 09:25 PM IST
When Pa Ranjith speaks about politics, he does not speak as a casual observer. He speaks as someone who has spent his entire career, across films like Kabali, Kaala, Madras and Sarpatta Parambarai, arguing that the stories a society tells about itself are inseparable from the power structures it maintains. On Thursday, he turned that lens on Tamil Nadu’s cabinet.
The second phase of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s cabinet expansion recently took place at Raj Bhavan in Chennai, with 23 new ministers sworn in by Governor Rajendra Arlekar, bringing the total strength of the TVK government’s council of ministers to 32. Pa Ranjith, through his social media, offered his congratulations to the new government. But the congratulations came wrapped in context, and that context was the point.
He tweeted, “The second phase of the cabinet expansion of the Tamil Nadu Vijayakazhagam government took place today. In addition to four women taking oath as ministers, key departments have also been entrusted to them. Likewise, it is noteworthy that seven individuals from the Scheduled Castes have been included in the cabinet. It appears that this is the first time in the political history of Tamil Nadu. In the context of the Indian Muslim League having decided to join the cabinet, two Muslims have also been given places in the cabinet.”
தமிழக வெற்றிக் கழக அரசின் இரண்டாம் கட்ட அமைச்சரவை விரிவாக்கம் இன்று நடைபெற்றுள்ளது.நான்கு பெண்கள் அமைச்சர்களாகப் பதவியேற்றிருப்பதோடு, முக்கியமான துறைகளும் அவர்களிடம் ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. அதேபோல், பட்டியல் சமூகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஏழு பேர் அமைச்சரவையில் இடம்பெற்றிருப்பதும்…
— pa.ranjith (@beemji) May 21, 2026
Explaining the context, he wrote, “These are significant changes based on the foundation of representational politics. We also believe that this will serve as an important beginning for Tamil Nadu politics and the Tamil Nadu Vijayakazhagam. In social justice politics, representation is the first priority; these opportunities that have been secured must pave the way for resolving the problems of ordinary people and further strengthening equality in society. When such exemplary representations lay the foundation for social change, they will also create opportunities for even more extensive changes in the future. With the hope that this cabinet will lead that change, the Neelam Cultural Center conveys its congratulations to the new government and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru. S. Joseph Vijay. Jai Bhim!”
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Why Pa Ranjith’s voice carries weight
Pa Ranjith is not a political party spokesperson. He is one of the most significant filmmakers in contemporary Tamil cinema, whose entire body of work has been a sustained argument for Dalit and Bahujan visibility, dignity and power. His 2014 film Madras is considered one of Tamil cinema’s most important anti-caste works. Kabali and Kaala, both starring Rajinikanth, brought Ambedkarite politics into mass commercial cinema. His 2021 film Sarpatta Parambarai used boxing as a vehicle to examine class, community and dignity in north Chennai.
Away from the screen, Ranjith founded Neelam in 2015, an organisation with multiple arms including a cultural centre, a publishing house for Dalit writers, a production company, and the Casteless Collective, a 19-piece band built around Tamil folk music and anti-caste philosophy. The organisation takes its name and visual identity from the blue of the Ambedkarite movement.
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