Whether young Tamilians’ frenzy over Vijay will translate into votes isn’t the point. His rallies are a mirror to TN’s masculinity crisis. Crowds he’s drawing are proof that male-dominated parties just aren’t listening
Joseph Vijay is not the first film star to enter Tamil politics. Very likely, he won’t be the last. What makes Vijay stand out is his ability to draw young crowds to his rallies – people aged 15 to 40. Tamil Nadu stands out nationally across several youth-related indicators, with significant progress in schooling, higher education, gender equality, and youth in salaried employment.