Karur Tragedy: Can Thalapathy Vijay’s Political Rise Survive?

Transcript

00:00A superstar's rally, a stampede and more than 40 lives lost.

00:04Is Vijay's political career doomed?

00:06Can his political career survive the stampede?

00:08According to a close aide, Vijay's team had in fact feared a stampede of the kind that unfolded in Karoor.

00:13Yet they struggled to manage the fan frenzy.

00:15The Tamil Nadu administration had also reportedly urged him to avoid waving or smiling excessively in earlier rallies.

00:22Several factors worsened the tragedy.

00:24Inaccurate crowd estimates, no fixed entry exit points,

00:27lack of emergency medical facilities and delayed arrival.

00:31The state opened criminal cases against TVK's lower-level functionaries,

00:34but stopped short of naming the superstar.

00:37This, according to some, was done to avoid triggering a sympathy wave in favour of Vijay.

00:41According to police, permission was in TVK's name, not Vijay's personally,

00:45placing initial responsibility on the organisers.

00:48TVK struggled to maintain control.

00:50Karoor's district office remained locked,

00:52leaders were absent at the hospital and phones went unanswered on the day of the tragedy.

00:57The Tamil Nadu assembly elections are due next year.

01:00Vijay's dual identity as a cinema icon and political challenger had become central to the state's political discourse.

01:06But now his popularity has suffered a serious setback.

01:09The deaths could weaken his people-servant image.

01:12The title, Talapati, meaning Commander, reflects how common Tamilians view him.

01:17Has Karoor changed that for good?

01:18For some, Vijay's decision to rush back to Chinayi was already cast a shadow on his political image.

01:23Karoor also highlighted the difference between real and real Vijay.

01:27In films like Teri, he rescues people in crisis.

01:30In reality, the airport-bound rush after the Karoor tragedy contrasted sharply with that heroic image.

01:36Do you think that Vijay the politician will be able to rise again?

01:39Tell us in the comments below.