Cinema VinesOn Thursday, protests in Mandya escalated as residents of Karnataka demanded that the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) stop releasing 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for a 15‑day period. The agitation, which has intensified amid a drought in the state, has spilled over into the film industry when the Tamil movie Jana Nayagan, starring Vijay, was screened in Karnataka cinemas.
At Gurushri Cinema, where the film was showing, activists surrounded the theatre, tore down posters of Vijay and the film, and raised slogans against the CWRC’s directive. The theatre management, after discussions with the protesters, agreed to cancel the screening. The incident followed earlier actions in which posters of Vijay’s film were ripped in Karnataka and the film’s release was halted by local activists.
The core of the protest is the demand that Karnataka’s water be kept for its own people. A protester told reporters, “Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, please tell them that we don’t even have drinking water, nor water for our livestock. People are in a desperate situation. Request them to give us some more time.” A memorandum supporting the farmers’ agitation was also submitted to the state government.
The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) and several Kannada film personalities joined the cause. KFCC president Jayamala said, “We have always stood with farmers. If language survives, if people survive, and if our land and water remain with us, then we survive. Whenever these are threatened, we will always stand with the farmers.” Producer Rockline Venkatesh echoed the sentiment, adding that the chamber’s affiliated organisations would support any agitation concerning the state’s land, water and language.
Jana Nayagan, directed by Vinoth and produced by Venkat K Narayana under KVN Productions, was originally slated for release on January 9 but was postponed after a delay in CBFC certification. The film, a remake of the 2023 Telugu hit Bhagavanth Kesari, stars Vijay, Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, and Mamitha Baiju, with supporting roles by Nassar, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Narain and Priyamani. It was also leaked online in April.
