Udhayanidhi Stalin (born 27 November 1977) is an Indian politician who has served as the third Deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu since 2024. Formerly a film producer, distributor and actor, he is the son of M. K. Stalin, the eighth and incumbent Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the third and the youngest to hold the position of deputy chief minister of the state. He has served as the minister of youth welfare and sports development since December 2022.
Born in 1977, Udhayanidhi attended the Don Bosco school and later received a degree in commerce from Loyola College in Chennai. Prior to his career as a politician, he acted in Tamil films, and also served as a producer and distributor of films in Tamil Nadu.
Udhayanidhi at the 60th South Filmfare Awards in 2013
In 2012, Udhayanidhi debuted as a lead actor in Rajesh's romantic comedy Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012), co-starring with Hansika Motwani and Santhanam. The film received positive reviews for his performance as an unemployed youth. Behindwoods noted that "Udhay's portrayal of Saravanan is neat and enjoyable", while Sify commented "Udhay's debut is promising and hats off to him to underplay his role".[13][14] He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance.[15] The success of the film prompted him to continue acting in further movies and he appeared in the lead role in Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal (2014) and Nanbenda (2015), both films featuring him opposite Nayanthara.[citation needed] His next film was the action film Gethu with Amy Jackson in 2016.[16] In the same year, he acted in the courtroom drama Manithan (2016), a remake of the Hindi film Jolly LLB.[17]
During an election rally at Dharapuram in 2021, Udhyanidhi, while responding to comments made by Indian prime ministerNarendra Modi, where Modi had said that Udhyanidhi had reached a top position in the party by sidelining several senior leaders, alleged that former union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley died due to stress from work given by prime minister Modi.[35][36]Bansuri Swaraj, the daughter of Sushma Swaraj, and Sonali Jaitley, the daughter of Arun Jaitley, condemned the statement.[37][38] The Election Commission of India issued a notice to Udhayanidhi for violation of the code of conduct and asked him for a response.[39]
On 2 September 2023, while addressing a conference, Udhayanidhi made a statement likening Sanatana Dharma to diseases like malaria and dengue. He stated that Sanatana Dharma should not merely be opposed but must be eradicated, claiming that it opposes social justice and equality.[40] The remark was met with outrage, with many political leaders expressing their disapproval.[41] Lawyer Vineet Jindal filed a complaint against Udhayanidhi with the Delhi Police calling them "provocative, inciting and defamatory",[42] and advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed a case with the Muzaffarpur Magistrate Court.[43] The Madras High Court later criticised the Tamil Nadu Police for not initiating an action against him. However, Udhayanidhi retorted that he hasn't said anything wrong and is ready to face legal consequences, stating that his ideology aligns with that of B.R. Ambedkar, and Periyar.[44]
Following a letter signed by 262 notable citizens and addressed to the Chief Justice of IndiaD.Y. Chandrachud,[45] the Supreme Court of India took suo moto cognisance of the case. On 22 September 2023, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Government of Tamil Nadu and Udhayanidhi to respond to the case.[46] On 4 March 2024, the Supreme Court rebuked Udhayanidhi over his remarks for allegedly misusing his right to freedom of speech and expression. The court further noted that, as a minister, he should have exercised caution in his statements and been mindful of the potential consequences.[47]
Personal life
Udhayanidhi married Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi in 2002. The couple has a son named Inban and a daughter named Tanmaya. Kiruthiga, who heads the lifestyle magazine Inbox 1305,[48] has also directed the films Vanakkam Chennai (2013) and Kaali (2018).[49][50]
In 2021, Inban signed for NEROCA FC football club which plays in the I-League.[51][52] In 2025, he took over his father's company Red Giant Movies as CEO.[53] Udhayanidhi describes himself as an atheist.[54]
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