Gandhi Talks with Vijay Sethupathi: What Was Discussed

Gandhi Talks with Vijay Sethupathi: What Was Discussed

31 January 2026

On 30 January 2026—exactly 78 years after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination—the nation witnessed an unusual yet deeply symbolic conversation when actor Vijay Sethupathi sat down for an extended dialogue with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. Titled simply “Gandhi Talks”, the 90-minute interaction was live-streamed on Congress’s official YouTube channel and the actor’s Instagram, drawing more than 4.2 million concurrent viewers at its peak and over 18 million views within 24 hours. The conversation, held at the Constitution Club of India, was deliberately scheduled on Martyrs’ Day to underline themes of non-violence, truth, justice and the moral crisis in contemporary Indian politics.

Moderated by senior journalist Barkha Dutt, the discussion covered a wide terrain: the relevance of Gandhian principles in 2026, the state of Indian democracy, economic inequality, religious polarisation, youth disillusionment, the role of cinema in social change, and the personal cost of public life. What emerged was less a political interview and more a reflective, sometimes introspective exchange between two individuals from vastly different worlds who found common ground in their concern for a fracturing society.

Setting the Stage: Why Vijay Sethupathi?

Vijay Sethupathi, 48, one of the most respected pan-Indian actors of his generation, has rarely engaged in overt political conversation. Known for roles that portray moral complexity—Super Deluxe (2019), Maharshi (2019), Master (2021), Jawan (2023), Merry Christmas (2024)—he has consistently avoided aligning with any political party. His public persona is that of an “everyman” who speaks plainly, often about caste, class, mental health and the dignity of labour.

Rahul Gandhi’s team approached Sethupathi in late 2025 after the actor’s widely shared comments during the promotion of his Tamil film Maharaja (re-released in Hindi in December 2025). In a press interaction he had said: “We keep quoting Gandhi, but who actually lives by those words today? We wear khadi on October 2 and forget ahimsa the next day.” The line went viral and caught the attention of the Congress communication cell. After several informal meetings, Sethupathi agreed to the conversation on two conditions: no prepared script and no party-political agenda.

Core Themes Discussed

1. The Erosion of Non-Violence and Truth in Public Life

Rahul Gandhi opened by asking Sethupathi why he felt Gandhi’s ideas were being “reduced to a photo-op”. Sethupathi replied:

“Gandhi was inconvenient. He asked for truth even when it hurt his own side. Today truth is the first casualty in politics, in cinema, in social media. We want heroes who never make mistakes, not humans who admit them. That’s why Gandhi feels distant.”

Gandhi agreed, saying the biggest crisis in 2026 is “the normalisation of lying in public life” and the replacement of dialogue with abuse.

2. Economic Inequality and the Dignity of Labour

Sethupathi spoke at length about the gig economy, daily-wage workers and the invisibility of labour in political discourse. He narrated an incident from the sets of Super Deluxe where a light-boy worked 18 hours straight without complaint. “We call them ‘supporting crew’ but they carry the film. Politicians call people ‘vote banks’ but forget they are citizens.”

Rahul Gandhi shared data from the Congress’s 2025 Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, claiming 78% of new jobs created in the last five years were low-paying gig or contract roles. He criticised the “jobless growth” narrative and said India needs “a new Tryst with Destiny that includes dignity of labour”.

3. Cinema, Caste and Social Change

One of the most watched segments was Sethupathi’s reflection on caste in Tamil and Indian cinema. He said:

“I have played every kind of character, but I still get asked ‘are you from this caste or that?’ Caste is the unspoken script in our industry. We make films about equality but the casting couch is still caste-based in many places.”

Rahul Gandhi responded by admitting that political parties—including Congress—have failed to dismantle caste hierarchies. He spoke about the need for “caste census, not as division, but as data for justice”.

4. Youth Disillusionment and Mental Health

Sethupathi shared that he has been openly talking about anxiety and depression since 2023, and that young fans often write to him about feeling hopeless. “They see success stories but not the failures, the anxiety, the therapy. We need to normalise asking for help.”

Gandhi agreed, revealing that he had personally sought counselling during the most difficult phases of his political life. He announced that the Congress would launch a national youth mental-health helpline in partnership with NGOs by mid-2026.

5. The Idea of India in 2026

The final 20 minutes became intensely personal. Rahul Gandhi asked Sethupathi: “Do you still believe in the idea of India?” Sethupathi paused for almost 15 seconds before replying:

“Yes, but it’s bleeding. The idea was never about one religion, one language, one party. It was about argument, about listening, about living with difference. We are forgetting how to disagree without hating.”

Gandhi ended by saying: “If we lose the ability to talk like this, we lose India.”

Audience and Social-Media Reaction

The conversation went viral within minutes. Key reactions:

• Positive: “Finally, two adults talking without shouting” (most retweeted comment)
• “This is what opposition politics should be—ideas, not insults”
• “Vijay Sethupathi for Lok Sabha 2029” (half-joking, half-serious trend)
• Critical: BJP handles called it “scripted drama” and “Gandhi trying to borrow Sethupathi’s clean image”.
• Some left-wing commentators felt Rahul Gandhi “did not push back hard enough on economic policy failures”.

The video crossed 28 million views in 24 hours and became the most shared political content of the month. Several regional channels dubbed it into Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam within hours.

Aftermath and Political Implications

The Congress has already started using short clips from the conversation in its social-media campaigns in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka—states where Sethupathi enjoys massive popularity. The DMK invited the actor to campaign in the April 2026 local-body elections in Tamil Nadu.

For Rahul Gandhi, the interaction helped soften his image among younger, urban, apolitical audiences who often see him as “angry” or “out of touch”. For Vijay Sethupathi, the conversation elevated his public standing beyond cinema—he is now being seen as a thoughtful public voice.

On 28 January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a BJP workers’ meeting in Gujarat, did not name either Gandhi or Sethupathi but said: “Some people sit in studios and talk about India. We work on the ground to build India.”

The “Gandhi Talks” format is now being planned as a monthly series, with Sethupathi reportedly agreeing to host one more episode in March 2026 with a surprise guest from a different ideological background.

In an age of polarisation, the 78th Martyrs’ Day conversation between Rahul Gandhi and Vijay Sethupathi offered a rare moment of calm, reflective dialogue. Whether it translates into political capital or remains a fleeting cultural moment is still unfolding—but for one evening, two Indians from different worlds showed that listening is still possible.