Everything about the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) campaign in Tamil Nadu revolves around its chief, Vijay. But with the actor-politician unable to physically cover all constituencies, the party has turned to an innovative workaround: a hologram version of Vijay that campaigns alongside candidates.
In a striking example, TVK’s Kumbakonam candidate Vinoth Ravi has deployed a life-sized 3D hologram of Vijay to connect with voters, a move that could redefine political campaigning in the state.
The high-definition digital projection of the TVK chief appears alongside the local candidate, delivering a synchronised speech from a campaign vehicle. Visuals from the ground show the “Hologram Vijay” creating the illusion of a physical presence, drawing significant crowds.
The hologram of Vijay was heard saying, “Are you ready to whistle? Our vote is our right, and no one can take us for granted. Our vote belongs to the whistle (TVK’s poll symbol). We will not be misled by anyone, and we will stand by our word. This is the truth.”
The technology was first rolled out in Kumbakonam and is likely to be extended to other constituencies.
Explaining the idea, Vijay Chandran, TVK’s Thanjavur district treasurer, said the concept emerged after discussions about the potential of hologram technology.
According to him, the move is a strategic response to the logistical challenge of covering over 200 constituencies that the party is contesting.
“We realised it would be impossible for our Thalaivar to visit every constituency. We were exploring how best to take his message to the people. That’s when I recalled Praveen K, a third-year AI and Data Science student, who had spoken about hologram marketing. This initiative allows our leader to be omnipresent, ensuring voters across the state can experience his address, even as he attends key rallies elsewhere,” Chandran told news agency PTI.
Praveen, 20, who runs a part-time marketing agency, said he developed a demo hologram product using AI.
“We created a 50-second AI-generated video of Vijay’s speech and projected it as a hologram. It took us about three days,” he said, adding that he has since received multiple requests after videos of the campaign went viral online.
The hologram campaign follows a series of experimental efforts by party cadres to maintain Vijay’s presence. Earlier, in Thiruverumbur, candidate Navalpattu Viji used a mannequin of the actor-politician. An unverified image also circulated on social media showing hundreds of such mannequins at the TVK office in Chennai.
Reports also suggest that Vijay lookalikes are increasingly being used in campaign events. One such instance involves Kolathur candidate VS Babu, who is set to take on Chief Minister MK Stalin, among others.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls across all 234 constituencies on April 23.
Elections 2026 | Tamil Nadu Election | Tamil Nadu Election Constituencies | Tamil Nadu Election Schedule
