The best of election moments has already begun for TVK, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) allotting the 'whistle' symbol to the party on Thursday.
Addressing mediapersons, the party's Joint General Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar expressed joy over the announcement and said that party chief Vijay had chosen the whistle symbol as the first preference out of ten symbols that TVK had submitted to ECI for consideration in November last year.
After the allocation of the symbol, Vijay, in an X post, said," The first victorious chapter in the electoral and political history of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has begun."
He said that a whistle is a sound of exuberance and a sound made by people on reaching their goal after working on it tirelessly. He said that the whistle lies in the hands of those who protect people, and added that, in a way, the whistle can be considered a symbol of 'security'.
"From kids to adults, the sound of a whistle brings in positivity... Being allotted a whistle symbol is, in fact, a source of motivation and comes as a gift bestowed upon TVK by nature," he said.
Vijay and the whistle connect
In GOAT (The Greatest of All Time), released on September 5, 2024, in theatres, a few months after Vijay launched his party, there comes a song 'Whistle Podu', roaring with the lyrics GOAT Ku Whistle Podu... Automatic ah Whistle Podu... Dragon Vettaikku Whistle Podu... Hey Nanbi, Hey Nanba, Hey Whistle Adi Ennodu..( transl. whistle for GOAT, whistle by default, whistle for a dragon hunt, hey my friends, just whistle with me).
Then, the song shot as taking place in a pub, was heavily criticised for being placed in the 13th minute of the movie, right after Vijay's action sequence, disturbing the narrative. Now, in a matter of 24 hours after the symbol allocation announcement, it has become the TVK cadres' and fans' anthem.
In Leo (2023), Vijay assembles his gang members at the Das & Co tobacco factory with a whistle during the Datura drug being transported sequence.
In Bigil (2019), the much-celebrated church sequence starts with Vijay halting the auto in which he comes with a whistle. Interestingly, the Telugu version of Bigil was titled Whistle. Also, playing the role of a football coach, Michael, he is spotted with a whistle for almost half of the film.
In Theri (2016), in the iconic scene where Vijay as Vijay Kumar IPS disciplines goons lying down on the classroom floor, stopping students from entering the classroom, he whistles in a swag. Also, Vijay as Joseph Kuruvilla makes a 'whistling pose' with his daughter Nivi, played by Nainika, in the charming Eeena Meena Teeka song in the movie.
In Pokiri (2007), just ahead of the hit-remix Vasantha Mullai song, Vijay teaches Asin Thottumkal to whistle if she wants to hire an auto.
In Sachein (2005), considered as the most youthful and cherishable movie in Vijay's career, has him making continuous whistles in rhythm in the Vaadi Vaadi Vaadi kai padatha CD song.
In Mersal (2017), Vettaikaaran (2009), too, there are special moments where Vijay whistles.
Within a few hours of the announcement, #whistle was trending in India in the number one position on X. TVK party cadres even started painting walls with whistle symbols and shared it on social media platforms.
The symbol allocation announcement also triggered a meme fest with a few netizens stating that while the DMK government launched the free bus fare scheme for women, the bus stops and starts only with a whistle. (!)
One fellow netizen, citing Ajith starrer Mankatha (2011) being re-released in theatres today (Jan. 23), said, now, every Ajith fan who whistles for mass scenes in the movie will be reminded of TVK's whistle symbol, pulling out a fan-war on X.
Anyhow, with just a symbol announcement creating a whirlwind of excitement, it will be an interesting watch to see how 'loud' the 'whistle' will be blown in the run upto the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
