Bengaluru – On May 4, the day the votes of the Tamil Nadu state elections were counted, Singaporean counsellor Delip Saravanan went to the Sri Krishnan Temple in Waterloo Street to pray fervently for one particular candidate.

The 41-year-old had never been so invested in the outcome of any Indian poll, but this time, he was all in. It was the political debut of his beloved Tamil superstar Joseph Vijay, whom he has been a fan of since the age of 11.

The soft-spoken actor known for his high-octane dance moves made his foray into politics two years ago, launching the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party. The 2026 state election was the TVK’s first time taking on decades-old Dravidian parties.

“As the vote count started, his party was behind. But when I reached home from the temple and saw that he was leading, I screamed in excitement,” Mr Delip told The Straits Times. 

“I was in tears and couldn’t believe it happened. I felt like that 11-year-old in me kind of won.”

Such scenes are to be expected in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where Mr Vijay lives.

Incredibly, Tamil speakers in Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka were following the poll closely too.

When the TVK defied most poll predictions to secure an astounding victory, the 51-year-old actor’s overseas fans celebrated with parties, cakes and festival-like feasts. 

In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Vijay Fans group organised a live screening of Mr Vijay’s Chennai swearing-in ceremony ...