VILUPPURAM: The red carpets rolled down the gargantuan stage for actor Vijay in Vikravandi on Sunday afternoon amidst rapturous responses from fans and followers. It was nothing short of a cinematic setup as the actor ambled into the catwalk gracing a smile, a rare one considering his history of maintaining a stoic countenance in public.

Vijay’s entry into the stage could have rivalled any movie scene. The actor came out of nowhere and decided to run straight to the podium to greet his followers. The response was thunderous even leaving the media cameras to quaver. Followers threw shawls emblazoned with the party symbol at Vijay and the actor modestly took it from the floor and lassoed it around his neck.

The scene in Vikravandi was eerily similar to a first-day celebration in front of theatres for a typical Vijay film.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s first state convention venue is spread over 170 acres in Vikravandi. The main attraction remains the huge cutouts of Vijay along with BR Ambedkar, Periyar EV Ramasamy and K Kamaraj.

Vijay is expected to strengthen his base at this convention by rolling out his party’s ideology as a prelude to the assembly elections in 2026. Rumours suggest that Vijay will unfold a big twist in today’s convention akin to the plot of his movies.

Many prominent leaders of Dravidian parties and former Congress, DMK and Anna DMK leaders are expected at the event. Seats have been arranged for three lakh people.