You could say C Joseph Vijay put on a show that is right up India’s alley. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is in the frame with a Kohli-signed MRF bat, and the internet made sure it was everywhere. Sure, there was chatter about the MRF plant, but the bat was what had people talking.
Why the signed bat was the story
In the photos that made the rounds, you have Vijay in a good suit and angavastram, holding a blade with some of Kohli’s ink on it. If you’re a fan, you can read the room: the CM is in on the joke, and in Tamil Nadu, cricket is the one language we all speak.
It was on him from K.M. Mammen, the MRF Chairperson, after some time with the tyre maker and the state. They had a chat, and the CM left with a little bit of stardust in his hand.
A shot for the ‘gram
The way he held it, the prop, the whole thing – it was meant to be seen. For those who have seen how he mixes star power with the will of the people, this was just more of the same, and done well.
The MRF side of things
But the photo op is not the only reason for the visit. At the secretariat, Vijay sat down with CMD KM Mammen, VC and MD Arun Mammen, and MD Rahul Mammen. They were there to talk shop, specifically a greenfield tyre plant in the state that would put in a solid Rs 5,300-crore.
You get your corporate handshakes and your cultural moments in one go. It’s a neat example of how industry and optics have to coexist in Indian politics.
Here is what you need to know from the meeting:
– The bat was a courtesy after MRF and the government spoke
– We are looking at a Rs 5,300-crore investment on the cards
– The Mammen family was in the room with the CM
Vijay, CSK and the like
Don’t mistake it for an act; Vijay has always been a man of the game. He was out in front as a Chennai Super Kings backer and even put in as their face for the 2008 season. Wearing the yellow was no part-time job for him; it was how he got close to the fans.
He is on good terms with MS Dhoni and you’ll find him at the odd match. Put a Kohli autograph in the mix and you have a picture of two sides of the sport with the new political head of the state. With the way Kohli and Dhoni have fared in the IPL so far, it only adds to the fun.
When a gift makes the news
Vijay has had his share of mementos since he came to power. Take Venkat Prabhu, who put a number plate from The Greatest of All Time in a frame for him: TN 07 CM 2026. Some saw it as a omen, the director made a point of it, and Vijay was happy to oblige.
If you think of politics as a kind of narrative, he has a knack for the right props. This bat is an open invitation to the rest of us to have a look.
Making the transition
We have all seen the road he has been on. From a child in 1984’s Vetri to the lead in Naalaiya Theerpu in ’92, and then the hits in ’96 with Coimbatore Mappillai and Poove Unakkaga. He is the son of SA Chandrasekhar, after all.
2024 was the year he put up the flag for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. There is one film left to deal with: H Vinoth’s Jana Nayagan with Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol and Pooja Hegde. It was to come out in January but the CBFC put a pin in it after a complaint from one of their own.
The courts didn’t budge, and the film has been in the hands of the revising committee. Then in April, an HD version of the unmade movie showed up on the web and nine people were put in custody. You can’t be sure if it will ever make it to the box office.
What’s in store
Now we are left to wonder about the policy and the pageantry. Is the MRF plant going to happen? Will the CM keep making headlines like this? A single bat with a signature has made for better copy than any press release could: it put the business of governance in the spotlight.
