Campaigning for next year’s Tamil Nadu election took a dramatic turn this week after actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) released an AI-generated video featuring former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, the founder of the now-ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), criticising the party and endorsing Vijay. The DMK swiftly retaliated, condemning the TVK’s “cheap tactics”.
Party spokesperson A Saravanan said, “This is a deepfake video and a cheap tactic for political gain. Using AI for social good is fine... but misusing it for politics? The people will see through it.”
He also dismissed claims of an “understanding” with the BJP, which Vijay has repeatedly alleged.
The video depicted ‘Annadurai’ proclaiming that the young Tamil men and women who powered his victory in the 1967 election, which saw the Congress defeated, would ensure Vijay’s triumph in 2026.
“The youth stood with me in 1967... today they are behind you (Vijay). Just like me, an ordinary man who rose to be Chief Minister, you too have come up through hard work. You know the hunger and needs of the working class (and) that is why I call on you to lead,” the AI-generated Annadurai said.
The video also showed ‘Annadurai’ praising Vijay for recognising social activist and reformer EV Ramasamy, better known as Periyar, as a policy leader and drawing inspiration from his life.
“When you identified Periyar as your ‘policy leader’, I understood your egalitarian politics is on the right track. Those who continued the rule with my name and picture (referring to the current-day DMK) worked for their sons’ upliftment and not for the people’s development,” AI-Annadurai said.
“Your exposition of their tacit understanding with the central government has removed the thorn in my heart. Let everyone say Vijay’s rule is in Annadurai’s way... let the TVK win.”
The two-minute, 32-second video also touched on the Hindi imposition controversy, a sensitive issue in the southern state, already stirred up in the state-versus-Centre dispute over the National Education Policy ahead of the election. AI-Annadurai told voters, “I opposed Hindi imposition... the people trusted me... now if people are treated like a flock for votes, how will there be trust?”
AI-Annadurai also criticised the party he founded for nepotism and profiting from liquor sales.
The real Annadurai and Tamil socio-political leaders of his era opposed alcohol consumption. Indeed, prohibition was enforced when he became Chief Minister in 1967.
Also Read: Vijay slams DMK, labels it ‘sorry model sarkar’
Prohibition was an intermittent policy over the next two decades; the DMK and its arch-rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), alternated between enforcing and relaxing the ban, with AIADMK icon J Jayalalithaa closing toddy shops when she became Chief Minister in 1991.
However, in a policy reversal, the same party took over the sale of Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in 2003, enabling the state government to generate tens of thousands of crores in revenue.
AI-Annadurai’s jab at liquor sales echoed the BJP’s attacks on the DMK on this issue; for instance, in February last year, then-BJP state chief K Annamalai made similar claims, alleging that the current DMK violates Annadurai’s stance against dynasty politics and state profits from liquor sales.
Also Read: DMK is people's party, asserts MK Stalin
Notably, the TVK’s AI Annadurai video made no mention of the AIADMK, fuelling speculation that Vijay, aware he may need the support of one of the two major Dravidian parties, is keeping his options open.
However, he may face a wait; the AIADMK has recently renewed ties with the BJP, with whom it was allied until a bitter split over Annamalai’s criticism of iconic past leaders like Annadurai and MGR.
Vijay has frequently invoked the legacies of Annadurai and the AIADMK’s MGR, or MG Ramachandran, predicting that 2026 would mirror the transformative 1967 and 1977 elections, which reshaped Tamil politics. The 1967 election ended Congress’ dominance, and MGR’s 1977 victory kept the DMK at bay for over a decade.
Also Read: Vijay begins maiden statewide tour ahead of polls, targets DMK
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