‘First doubted, then crowned’: Nani’s tweet compares Vijay’s historic 2026 election lead to Pawan Kalyan’s resurgence

He was talking about Pawan Kalyan while congratulating Vijay. And he was saying, without making a big deal of it, that this is the same story told in two different languages.

Congratulations @actorvijay sir.

First doubted and then crowned.
Happened at our home and now it’s happening in our neighbouring home.

Underdog winning is always absolute cinema ( or should I say absolute politics ?) :)
Hope great things follow for the people of Tamil Nadu…

— Nani (@NameisNani) May 4, 2026

The comparison landed because it is genuinely accurate. Both men are among the biggest stars their respective film industries. Both walked away from cinematic glory to start political parties. Both were openly doubted; Pawan Kalyan also faced failure before emerging as a winner and the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Both their wins surprised the people who had been most confident of their defeat.

Vijay, Pawan Kalyan comparison

Pawan Kalyan founded Jana Sena in 2014 with enormous public goodwill behind him. However, The 2019 elections then took most of that goodwill and handed it back in pieces. He lost both seats he personally contested, with his party winning one MLA seat.

Vijay faced similar noise when he launched TVK in February 2024 and announced he was leaving films. Tamil Nadu, political observers kept pointing out that is not the kind of state that hands power to celebrities. It has a decades-long tradition of ideologically rooted Dravidian politics. Many said leaving cinema for politics would be his ‘biggest mistake’.

What followed in both cases was the same thing: the actor ignored the verdict and kept working.

Also Read: Trisha Krishnan arrives at Vijay’s home as TVK nears historic win; family celebrates with ‘whistle’ party

Pawan Kalyan spent the years after his 2019 defeat doing political work and built a ground-level presence that his 2019 campaign had not had. When 2024 came, he also made a crucial decision: instead of fighting the TDP and BJP, he allied with them. Jana Sena contested 21 assembly seats and  won all 21. Pawan Kalyan was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in June 2024.

Vijay’s approach in Tamil Nadu was in some ways even more ambitious. He went in without any alliance, contesting all seats alone against both the ruling DMK and the established opposition AIADMK. He built his party’s organisation from the ground up over roughly two years, largely drawing from his existing fan network.

By the time election season arrived, TVK had booth agents in place across the state and a manifesto aimed squarely at first-time voters, women, and students. At the time of going to print, TVK is leading in over 100 seats. The party that was supposed to be a sideshow had turned the election into a three-way contest and, by most counts, is winning it.

The film connection that Nani alluded to, calling it “absolute cinema,” punches with facts. Pawan Kalyan and Vijay have both spent their careers playing characters who absorb punishment and come back. The roles they chose and the political paths they took are cut from the same cloth.