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Vijay-Ajith ‘Mangatha’ In London: What Are The Political Calculations Behind The Sudden Closeness?

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The Commune
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Vijay-Ajith ‘Mangatha’ In London: What Are The Political Calculations Behind The Sudden Closeness?

The sudden bonhomie between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and actor Ajith Kumar in London has become the latest talking point in Tamil Nadu.

For nearly 25 years, Vijay and Ajith have been portrayed as rivals in Tamil cinema, with their respective fan bases often engaged in fierce competition. But in London, the two were seen embracing, posing together and putting their old rivalry aside, as reported in Junior Vikatan.

Vijay had travelled to London saying that he was there to attract foreign investments to Tamil Nadu. But during the first 48 hours of his visit, the activities that drew the most attention were his meeting with Ajith, a photo session and his participation in Ajith’s car-racing event.

Vijay flagged off the race in which Ajith participated and later ran towards the actor, embraced him and kissed him on the shoulder. The moment went viral internationally and created excitement among fans of both actors.

Vijay also posed inside Ajith’s racing car.

But behind the public display of friendship between Vijay and Ajith, Junior Vikatan reports that there could be separate calculations involving politics and business.

A 25-Year Rivalry

According to a senior film producer quoted by Junior Vikatan, Vijay and Ajith did not have any major personal differences when they entered the film industry.

The two acted together in the 1995 film Rajavin Parvaiyile.

Towards the end of the 1990s, films such as Kadhalukku Mariyadhai and Thulladha Manamum Thullum helped Vijay build a major fan following. During the same period, films such as Vaali and Amarkalam established Ajith’s own fan base.

The rivalry between the two subsequently intensified.

The producer claimed that there was even a dispute over the order in which their names appeared in media reports, with Vijay allegedly asking publications to write “Vijay-Ajith” rather than “Ajith-Vijay.”

The competition also found its way into their films.

According to the producer, when Vijay delivered a dialogue referring to life as a circle, Ajith responded with a dialogue saying that his life was not a circle but a straight line.

The rivalry became particularly visible when Vijay was delivering successful films such as Ghilli, Thirupaachi and Sivakasi, while Ajith was going through a run of films including Ji, Jana, Paramasivam and Aalwar.

Vijay’s fans allegedly mocked Ajith’s appearance, while Ajith’s fans retaliated.

The rivalry eventually spilled over into social media and, according to the producer, led to clashes at theatres and even an incident involving stone-pelting at the house of a stunt choreographer.

Ajith dissolved his fan clubs in 2010.

However, the rivalry between the fan bases continued from the Orkut era through Twitter and Instagram.

The Equation Changes

According to the senior producer quoted in the Junior Vikatan report, the equation changed after Vijay entered politics and became Chief Minister.

The producer claimed that Ajith’s manager Suresh Chandra had told people before the election that Vijay would not win. After the election results, however, the situation changed.

When Ajith’s mother died, Vijay personally visited the actor and paid his respects. Actress Trisha accompanied him.

According to the report, government officials also cooperated to ensure that the funeral arrangements took place without disruption.

The gesture reportedly moved Ajith. It is reported that Vijay attended the Le Mans Cup car race in London following Ajith’s invitation.

Vijay visited the Silverstone racing circuit and watched Ajith’s race. He also saw the circuit, arena and its technology.

Why Was Vijay At Silverstone?

People close to Vijay who accompanied him to London told Junior Vikatan that the Chief Minister’s visit to Silverstone had another purpose as well.

According to them, Vijay has decided to establish an integrated sports city in Chennai capable of hosting international-standard car races and events related to the Olympics.

Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna has reportedly been given responsibility for the project.

The sources said Aadhav Arjuna travelled with Vijay to London to study the design of the Silverstone circuit and arena and explore developing similar facilities in Chennai.

According to these sources, Vijay’s schedule consisted of meetings relating to industrial investments, followed by his participation in Ajith’s car race.

The visit to the race was allegedly kept secret because a large crowd of fans was expected if the information became public.

Vijay and his entourage reportedly stayed at London’s Shangri-La hotel.

According to people accompanying Vijay, one of his aides, Rajendran, complimented the leather coat worn by the Chief Minister, following which Vijay bought him a new leather coat.

Trisha’s Appearance

Trisha’s presence in London to watch the race reportedly surprised several people.

According to sources quoted by Junior Vikatan, she came to the room where Vijay was staying and spoke with people close to him, including Vishnu Reddy and Jagadish Palanisamy.

The sources claimed that Aadhav Arjuna was unable to discuss certain matters with Vijay while Trisha was there.

At one point, Vijay and Aadhav Arjuna reportedly went to the lobby and discussed matters relating to a by-election.

Trisha subsequently arrived at the lobby and looked towards the race track. The moment was reportedly captured by cameras.

The sources said Vijay returned to the room after seeing her and later watched the car race for more than three hours.

The ₹11,000 Crore Investment Announcement

The London trip came under further scrutiny because Vijay had travelled there as part of the Tamil Nadu government’s investment efforts.

The Tamil Nadu government subsequently announced that MoUs involving ₹11,000 crore in foreign investment were signed in the presence of the Chief Minister.

But the images of Vijay and Ajith continued to dominate public discussion.

The question being raised was why Vijay had travelled all the way to London to personally flag off Ajith’s race.

According to political strategists quoted by Junior Vikatan, the answer lies in what they describe as a “Mangatha” game between Vijay and Ajith.

Vijay-Ajith’s Political Mangatha

The strategists mentioned in the Junior Vikatan report described the London meeting as a case of “I get votes, you get business.”

Despite Vijay’s considerable popularity, his party had won 108 seats in its first election. Since it was his first election people had voted for Vijay, but there could be greater uncertainty in future elections.

There was also the possibility of actors such as Dhanush entering politics and that Vijay could face a division of the youth vote. Vijay therefore has an interest in winning over Ajith’s fans and it is a fact that Ajith continues to have a substantial following, particularly south of Madurai.

Additionally, if future Ajith films contain scenes or dialogues perceived as taking a swipe at Vijay’s government, they could attract significant attention and create political difficulties for the Chief Minister.

From this perspective, Vijay flagging off Ajith’s car race was an attempt to build goodwill among Ajith’s fans. Even a few lakh additional votes could benefit Vijay politically.

Ajith’s Business Calculation

The report also identified a potential benefit for Ajith. Ajith’s motorsport journey is being documented in Gladiators, which is scheduled for release around Diwali.

According to the report, the documentary had not received a major response from OTT platforms, with large companies reportedly hesitant to acquire it.

Therefore, the footage of Vijay flagging off Ajith’s race in London could be incorporated into the documentary. This could bring Vijay’s fans into the audience as well and improve the documentary’s prospects in the OTT market. Therefore, both Vijay and Ajith had their own calculations.

Vijay could gain goodwill among Ajith’s supporters and Ajith could gain publicity for his motorsport documentary.

That is the “Political Mangatha” – Vijay and Ajith, once at the centre of Tamil cinema’s fiercest fan rivalry, now appearing together in London while each side is said to have its own political or commercial interest.

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