With Vijay stepping in as the newly elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, all eyes are on the former actor and the myriad of initiatives he is expected to roll out for the state. Amid the political buzz, several of his earlier films that hinted at a possible political trajectory have returned to the spotlight. Among them, his 2018 film Sarkar has frequently been cited in news reports for its striking parallels to his real-life journey from actor to politician. While the film is being celebrated by fans today, the AR Murugadoss-directorial released amid a tense political climate marred by controversies and protests.
Recalling the incidents during the pre-release event of Jai's Sattendru Maarudhu Vaanilai, the Ghajini filmmaker said, "When Sarkar released, many posters were torn by people. It was a difficult time. Police were chasing us. At that time, Babu Vijay and I would be heading out in safe vehicles. He was driving and I was sitting beside him. We reached Kasi theatres and I saw that police were tearing our banners."
He continued, "I cried buckets that day. Even in those tension-filled times, Babu Vijay helped me a lot. Almost 12 people who worked with me have become directors. It makes me very happy to see Babu Vijay's growth."
In Sarkar, Vijay plays a powerful corporate figure who returns to Tamil Nadu from the United States to exercise his right to vote in the Assembly elections, only to discover that his vote has already been fraudulently used. Shocked by this, he launches a campaign exposing electoral malpractice and eventually enters the political arena as an independent candidate, all while facing repeated threats to his life and efforts to discredit him.
For the unversed, AR Murugadoss and Vijay had first joined hands on Thuppakki in 2012 and then Kaththi in 2014. Both the films were blockbusters at the box office. Sarkar marked their third collaboration.
Meanwhile, AR Murugadoss and Excel Entertainment had recently joined hands to produce an action entertainer starring Sunny Deol in the lead. The film, which is currently in production, the film also stars Jyotika in a prominent role.