"Thanga Natchathiram Doesn't Spoof TVK Vijay": Natty Nataraj Tells NDTV

Interestingly, Natty has worked with Thalapathy Vijay and certifies the film star-turned-politician as 'platinum'

04 Apr 2026, 09:46 · NDTV

New Delhi:

The teaser of Tamil film TN 2026 - Thanga Natchathiram (Golden Star) has created a strong buzz in Tamil Nadu for various reasons. The film starring talented DOP and actor Natty Nataraj sees the son of National Award-winner Thambi Ramaiah, Umapathy Ramaiah, direct this political satire. But why the movie is making headlines is more for the content in the teaser rather than the cast and crew.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Natty Nataraj who essays the role of protagonist Thanga Natchathiram Gulkand Kumar, talks about how he was so smitten by the script when it was narrated to him by Thambi Ramaiah. "At the narration, Thambi Ramaiah told me that people used to come into politics to do service but it has turned into a business today. He wanted this message to reach the audience and conveyed it through a hilarious story. He also told me that politics should be part of the education system as a subject in school. I thought this was very profound and I found the script hilarious too. I just had to say yes"

Given that Umapathy Ramaiah is young and this is his second directorial, how confident was Natty that he could pull it off? "I was very confident about him. After the script, he came out with storyboards and references. It was like he had the experience of someone who has worked on 10-15 films. That was his approach. In fact, he is very good at his job as director. We used to do rehearsals before every take and Umapathy used to be very specific about what he wanted in the final take. I never guided him or distracted him from his job but we used to improvise on set."

TN 2026 is a political satire and revolves around Tamil star Thanga Natchathiram Gulkand Kumar who decides to step into politics. There has been talk on social media that Gulkand Kumar shares a lot of similarities with Thalapathy Vijay, who started Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), and is making his debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections. So, was Vijay the reference point for Gulkand Kumar?

"This character is not based on TVK Vijay at all. We have seen superstars become politicians in several states. When we first did the look test, we took Andhra Pradesh politician Jaganmohan Reddy as reference. He wore normal trousers and shirts like a regular college professor. Then we thought the censor board may object if we used him as reference, so we gave 50-year-old Gulkand Kumar a salt-and-pepper beard too. Now, Vijay turned up at his first maanaadu (public meeting) in Vikravandi in that look and we thought he was still shooting for Jana Nayagan and that was for continuity. But he maintained that look - which we never expected - and everyone's comparing it to the teaser now. The situations we have depicted in the film are close to reality though. You should come and watch the film - you'll love the film," explains Natty adding that it's been three months since they wrapped up the film.

"Thambi Ramaiah has extensive knowledge about politics and knows about 150 years of political history, especially in Tamil Nadu. He has done a lot of research and is a keen political observer. I know a lot about cinema and cricket and he knows politics. Our only motivation in making TN 2026 is to make people laugh from beginning till end. The film is a parody and the audience may recognise real-life people based on the various characters," smiles Natty.

Ask the Maharaja actor if there were any issues at the censor board given it was a political satire spoofing the current situation in Tamil Nadu and he replies, "They gave a few cuts that's all. The movie is 100 % hilarious and entertaining. There are no references to any political leader or political party - we haven't attacked any political leader in this film. This is a misconception."

Interestingly, Natty has worked with Thalapathy Vijay and certifies the film star-turned-politician as 'platinum'. "I was the DOP for his films Youth and Puli and I shot one song for Thuppakki. Vijay's a gem of a person. If he sees someone struggling or going through some difficulty, he'll get disturbed and ask his assistants to sort it out immediately," he adds.

TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna had commented about TN 2026 asking why Jana Nayagan's release could violate the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) but a political spoof film that seemed to target Vijay could be released. In response, Natty said, "I don't know if Aadhav Arjuna has seen the teaser of the film since he is very busy. He clearly told the media he doesn't know what our film is about. Once people see the film, they'll understand it's not about Vijay. You'll keep laughing through the film!"

ALSO READ | TN 2026 Teaser Spoofs TVK Vijay, Aadhav Arjuna Claims BJP-DMK Conspiracy

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