CM Vijay’s Poverty Claims Called ‘Bullsh*t’ by Schoolmate Manu Joseph: A Reality Check

‘Affluent Boys Confuse Being Broke with Poverty’: Manu Joseph Calls Out CM Vijay’s ‘Hunger’ Claims.

Chennai, May 12, 2026 — Just days after C. Joseph Vijay made history by taking the oath as the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from outside the DMK-AIADMK duopoly, his maiden speech has hit a major roadblock. While the actor-politician’s emotional address about "knowing the pain of hunger and poverty" moved many of his supporters to tears, one person wasn't buying it: his former classmate and renowned author, Manu Joseph.

Manu Joseph

In a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), the Serious Men author and Decoupled creator pulled no punches, labeling the Chief Minister’s rags-to-riches narrative as "bullsh*t."

The Classmate’s Reality Check

The controversy stems from Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony at Nehru Stadium on Sunday. Addressing the massive crowd, Vijay framed himself as a common man who clawed his way up, stating:

"I know what poverty is and what hunger is. I do not have a royal ancestry. I am the son of an ordinary assistant director who worked hard to win in cinema."

Manu Joseph, who attended the prestigious Loyola School in Chennai with Vijay, was quick to flag the discrepancy. Joseph pointed out that being the son of a filmmaker in a premier private school doesn't exactly align with the image of a starving child.

"In his first speech as Tamil Nadu chief minister, Vijay said that he grew up in poverty, and that he even knows what hunger is. It's bullsh*t because he was my classmate in the third standard in Loyola School," Joseph wrote. "His father was a filmmaker who set up his son for a career in films."

‘Broke’ vs. ‘Poverty’

Joseph conceded that Vijay’s father, veteran filmmaker S.A. Chandrasekhar, might have faced the professional ups and downs common in the film industry, but argued that "financial strife" is not the same as the systemic poverty millions of Tamilians face.

"It is possible that like most filmmakers his father may have had periods of financial strife, but that's not the same as Tamil-grade poverty," Joseph added. "A lot of affluent boys confuse being broke with poverty. Two very different things."

Chandrasekhar, while starting as an assistant, had already transitioned to directing by the late 1970s and famously launched Vijay as a child actor in the 1984 film Vetri.

A Political Storm in the Making

The critique has ignited a firestorm on social media. Supporters of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) have rushed to his defense, arguing that "poverty is subjective" and that the family faced genuine hardships before SAC’s films became box-office hits.

On the other hand, critics and opposition members have latched onto Joseph’s comments, accusing the new CM of using "cinema-style melodrama" to build a political brand.

The Road Ahead

Despite the "school-gate" controversy, Chief Minister Vijay has hit the ground running. His first official acts—signing off on 200 units of free electricity and a special unit for women's safety—show that he is eager to move past the rhetoric and into governance.

However, as Manu Joseph’s post continues to rack up millions of views, the "poverty" debate serves as a reminder that in the age of digital archives and vocal old friends, every chapter of a leader's backstory will be scrutinized.