Tamil Superstar Vijay Has A Strong Telugu Connection

With Tamil superstar Vijay’s upcoming film Jana Nayakudu being a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Bhagavanth Kesari, noted writer Gopi Mohan has credited Telugu cinema for significantly shaping Vijay’s successful career in Kollywood.

“Tamil star Vijay has a huge fan following, and he is now playing a tough police officer, reprising the role originally essayed by Balakrishna. Probably, he would be taking on politicians in the film to boost his political prospects. Interestingly, it also happens to be his farewell film,” says Gopi Mohan. The writer also points out that this isn’t Vijay’s first tryst with Telugu remakes. “He is a great dancer and performs daredevil stunts to achieve superstardom. He began his success journey with films like Priyamanavale, Youth, and Badri, which were remakes of Telugu hits Pavitra Bandham, Chirunavvutho, and Badri. By doing diverse stories, he steadily expanded his fan base.”

The real turning point, Gopi Mohan observes, came when Vijay adapted Mahesh Babu’s blockbusters Okkadu (Ghilli) and Pokiri. “Both Vijay and Mahesh were of the same age and had similar mass appeal. Vijay cleverly picked Telugu hits that blended action and romance, while Mahesh avoided remakes altogether. That strategy paid off big time for Vijay,” he explains.

Interestingly, the exchange of ideas between the two industries was not one-sided. Pawan Kalyan found success by remaking Vijay’s Love Today as Suswagatham and Sivakasi as Annavaram. Even Nagarjuna tasted success with Nuvvu Vastavani, a remake of Vijay’s Thulladha Manamum Thullum. “Yet, it was Vijay who consistently trusted Telugu stories to fuel his rise,” notes Gopi Mohan.

Over time, Vijay built a strong market in the Telugu states through direct releases and dubbed versions like Thuppaki, Master, and Leo, collectively earning over ₹22 crore share. “With Jana Nayakudu, he will easily cross ₹25 crore in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Still, he falls a little short of Rajinikanth’s market in the Telugu region,” Gopi Mohan observes.

When asked if Vijay could mirror Pawan Kalyan’s transition from superstar to Deputy Chief Minister, Gopi Mohan laughs. “Not at all. Vijay has his own agenda. Andhra people rewarded Pawan Kalyan after a decade of relentless political work. His massive rallies, electrifying speeches, and social media impact have shaken his political opponents. We’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for Vijay in 2026’s political arena,” he concludes.