Cinema VinesVijay’s political thriller Jana Nayagan finally opened in theatres on July 23 after a year‑long delay caused by disputes between the producers and the Central Board of Film Certification. The film, directed by H. Vinoth, also features Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol in pivotal roles.
On its opening day the film earned ₹42.70 crore across 12,299 shows, a respectable start for a release that had been postponed from January. However, the first Friday saw a steep 50% drop, with collections falling to ₹21.51 crore. The following Saturday, the picture bounced back with a 34.8% increase, bringing in ₹28.50 crore and pushing the total India gross to ₹108.93 crore and the domestic net to ₹92.35 crore.
Critics largely panned the film, citing a weak storyline and a lack of depth. One review from the Hindustan Times described Jana Nayagan as carrying “all the shortcomings of Anil Ravipudi’s Bhagavanth Kesari and more in its Tamil adaptation; H. Vinoth adds to the fluff and leaves you wanting more.” Despite the mixed reviews, the film’s box‑office numbers have been steadily climbing, inching closer to the ₹100 crore milestone.
Actor Vijay’s character, Vetri Kondan, is portrayed as a man who mentors Viji (Mamitha Baiju) to become a strong woman and join the army, only to face a looming threat in the form of John Himmler (Bobby Deol). The narrative also includes a combination scene with Vijay and the actress Anandhi Ajay, which was later cut from the final cut. Ajay expressed disappointment on Instagram, saying, “I have acted in several films, and a lot of my scenes have been edited out. However, I have never been sad or regretted it. But I feel bad that the scene I acted in for Jana Nayagan got edited out. That is because Jana Nayagan was the first film I committed to during my comeback. I waited for one and a half years for the release of this film. On top of that, I had a combination scene with sir (Vijay). I went to the theatre so happily, thinking, ‘Okay, my scene will be there. The combination scene with Thalapathy will be there.’ I went in with that thought and never expected it to be edited out. I feel so unlucky, but it's okay.”
