‘What mistake did I make now?’: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt’s co-star on how meeting Thalapathy Vijay changed his perspective of the Tamil Nadu CM

Thalapathy Vijay became the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, 2026. He assumed office following the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, where his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged victorious. Before joining politics, the Tamil superstar was last seen in the 2024 action-drama The Greatest of All Time. Vijay’s final film, Jana Nayagan, is yet to be released. Now, Bengali actor Tota Roy Chowdhury, who shared screen space with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, has shared his experience of working with Vijay in the 2014 action thriller Kaththi.

Tota Roy Chowdhury admires Thalapathy Vijay’s humbleness

Tota Roy Chowdhury, in a conversation with Sreemoyee Piu on her YouTube podcast, Straight Up With Shree, once revealed that the hierarchy in the South film industry is ‘very strict’, but he was surprised by how humble and polite Thalapathy Vijay was in their first interaction.


Tota Roy Chowdhury, who played the role of Vivek Banerjee in director AR Murugadoss’ Kaththi, shared how Thalapathy Vijay’s secretary called the actor informing him that Vijay would like to have a random chat with him. This was after Tota had delivered a long page of dialogue in one take during the shoot.

Tota Roy Chowdhury, who essayed the character of Alia Bhatt’s father in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, admitted that he was initially nervous, wondering if he had made a mistake on the sets. But his fears were quickly put to rest when Vijay welcomed him with remarkable warmth and humility. The Tamil Nadu CM politely invited Tota to sit, offered him coffee, and engaged him in a friendly conversation, asking about his film background and apologising for not knowing much about his work in regional cinema.

Tota Roy Chowdhury on Thalapathy Vijay

Much to Tota Roy Chowdhury’s surprise, Vijay praised him for his performance and expressed how much he had enjoyed working with him, leaving the Bengali actor deeply impressed by his graciousness and gentlemanly nature. Tota further shared that after the meeting, the film’s assistants were astonished to learn that Vijay had personally spent time chatting with him over coffee.

Their reaction surprised Tota even more, as they spoke of Vijay with immense reverence and remarked that he was destined to become the future Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. At the time, Tota did not fully grasp the weight of their words, but the memory resurfaced years later when Vijay officially entered politics.

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A post shared by Sreemoyee Piu (@straightupwithshree)

In February 2024, Vijay formally declared his political ambitions for the 2026 elections, marking his entry into active politics with the launch of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Later that year, in October 2024, he strengthened his political presence by addressing his first major public rally.