Tamil superstar Vijay was sworn in as the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Sunday after his newly launched party, TVK, emerged as the single-largest party with the maximum number of seats this election season. Notably, Vijay’s estranged wife Sankgeetha, son Sanjay, and daughter Divya didn’t attend the oath-taking ceremony, making the family rift public.
They also stayed away from Vijay’s election campaigns. However, long before Vijay launched his political career, he spoke about his son’s career choices. In the same conversation, he addressed his equation with his father after a public feud triggered by his father’s attempt to turn his fan base into a political party without his consent.
‘They Have Full Freedom to Choose’
During the promotions for Beast in 2022, in an interview with director Nelson Dilipkumar for Sun TV, Vijay was asked if Sanjay wanted to pursue acting.
Prioritizing his son’s career choice, Vijay said he had the full liberty to choose what he wanted to pursue.
When asked whether Sanjay wanted to become an actor, Vijay replied, “I have no clue what’s in his mind.” He also clarified that he had never pressured his son into acting.
“I would never do that,” Vijay said.
“It is completely his interest. If he feels he needs my support, I will support him. They have full freedom to choose. I don’t command them, saying they have to do this or that.”
The actor shared that many directors had approached him for his son’s debut, but he left the decision entirely to his son’s discretion.
“I tell him people are asking, but at the end of the day, it is his choice. He told me, ‘Please don’t disturb me for a couple of years. I don’t want this right now.'”
‘We Don’t Realise When We Are Sons’
Vijay’s father, S. A. Chandrasekhar, attempted to launch a political outfit using Vijay’s fan base without the actor’s approval, causing a rift in their father-son dynamics.
Vijay had then issued a public statement distancing himself from the move, making it clear that neither he nor his fan clubs had any connection with the political party announced by his father.
During the same conversation, Vijay also reflected on his relationship with his own father despite their differences of opinion.
“When we see a beautiful tree, we admire the flowers but never notice the effort of the roots. Fathers are like that. They are the roots of every family,” Vijay said.
“We don’t realise it when we are sons. We understand it only when we become fathers ourselves. If someone praises a quality in us, it usually comes from them.” He added, “To put it simply, the only difference between God and a father is that we cannot see God. I’m not saying this only about my father, but fathers in general. God cannot be seen, but fathers can.”
Meanwhile, Vijay’s wife, Sangkeetha, has filed for divorce in a family court in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, alleging that Vijay had an extra-marital affair with an actress.
On the other hand, Trisha Krishnan has appeared at important events with Vijay, including his oath-taking ceremony on Sunday, adding fuel to the buzz about their affair.