Superstar Vijay has launched a political party in Tamil Nadu days after leaders of the Tamizha Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) appointed him the party chief. Vijay is likely to enter the electoral battlefield ahead of the assembly election due in Tamil Nadu in 2026. “Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam” would loosely translate to “Tamil Nadu Victory Party.”

Vijay said his party will not contest the Lok Sabha election. The TVK will also not support anyone, as decided in its recently held general council and executive council meetings, he said.

“I have decided to complete the film I have already committed to, without affecting the party work and completely involve myself in the politics of public service. I consider this as my gratitude towards the people of Tamil Nadu,” Vijay said, news agency PTI reported.

The announcement prompted spontaneous celebrations from his fans in the state known for stars graduating from cinema to politics, including the late veterans MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

Seen as the next Rajinikanth of Tamil cinema, Vijay – who has acted in 68 films – has been nurturing political ambitions for over a decade. He has been involving his fan clubs in a range of charity and welfare measures including free distribution of food, educational scholarships, libraries, evening tuition, and even legal help.

Recently, he organised a constituency-level programme to honour student toppers in public exams. He told the students he wants to “read about leaders like Ambedkar, Periyar, Kamaraj. Take what’s good and leave the rest.”

Vijay’s father is the celebrated film director Chandrasekhar. Vijay’s films have often touched sensitive and key public interest topics, and he has a cult following in the state. Some of Vijay’s films have also taken controversial stands in targeting governments over the years.

Squid Game 2 is all set to release this year. The sequel to the survival thriller that gained popularity back in 2021 is one of the most anticipated upcoming Korean series. The first look of the show starring Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon, Gong Yoo and more is out now.

The first look at Squid Game 2 sees Lee Jung-jae with his hair dyed red step out of the airport and swear to find the man behind the evil game. The short clip picks up right after the events of the first season.

Check it out here:

The makers also unveiled a series of stills from the sequel. One still sees Lee Jung-jae and Gong Yoo face off.

Written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game 2 also features Park Sung-hoon, Yim Si-wan, Won Ji-an and others. 

Squid Game ended on a cliff-hanger that saw Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun, fresh off his win,  set to leave for the US to visit his daughter. However, he changes his mind when he gets a phone call. 

Squid Game Season 2 will release in 2024.

The Modi government is focused on empowerment and is not concerned with populist measures, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told NDTV Friday in her first post-budget interview. It does not believe in “hand-holding people (so) it hampers their own decision-making”, she stressed.

Speaking to NDTV a day after presenting the 2024 Interim Budget – which contained no populist announcement, such as revision of income tax slabs, Ms Sitharaman said the absence of such measures in her budget was a nod to the confidence people have in the Prime Minister before the April/May Lok Sabha election, in which the ruling BJP is expected to win a third consecutive term.

“We are confident because, in the last 10 years, we not only announced pro-people schemes but worked hard to execute them and make sure that every last eligible person benefitted from these policies. These beneficiaries know that we did what we promised,” Ms Sitharaman told NDTV.

“When there is word of mouth… when the people have confidence that a government works to get them the schemes… when all the schemes have reached the people… then there is confidence.”

READ | “Confident As People Have Faith In PM”: Nirmala Sitharaman

“People blessed us the first time (and) the second time… it will happen this time too,” she said, referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s wins in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

Ms Sitharaman also said she had no qualms about spending big on social welfare schemes but emphasised the fact that subsidies and fiscal discipline “are not substitutes for one another”.

READ | “Subsidies Needn’t Be Cut For Fiscal Discipline”: Nirmala Sitharaman

She pointed out that during the pandemic – when the economy was in crisis – the Modi government continued to provide food and essential goods support, particularly to the poorest sections.

The Prime Minister, she stressed, runs a tight ship when it comes to fiscal discipline.

On Thursday Ms Sitharaman presented the 2024 Interim Budget, in which she said the Modi government is working towards a ‘Viksit (developed) Bharat’ by 2047.

READ | “Working To Viksit Bharat By 2047”: Nirmala Sitharaman’s Interim Budget

Presenting her sixth straight budget, she underlined the need to focus on four categories of people – women, the youth, farmers, and the poor – and said their needs were the “highest priority”.