Cinema VinesVijay’s final outing as a film star, the political drama Jana Nayagan directed by H Vinoth, has opened its doors in theatres this week after a nearly seven‑month postponement. The release, which was originally slated for January, was delayed because the film could not secure a Central Board of Film Certification before the actor’s transition into full‑time politics. Now, with Vijay having taken oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the film’s premiere marks the end of his cinematic career.
The film’s advance booking window opened on Sunday, just four days before the theatrical launch. Within hours, theatres across Tamil Nadu were already struggling to meet demand. According to the Theatre Owners Association, the state experienced “tremendous pressure” for ticket bookings, with single screens and multiplexes together selling over 90,000 tickets in the first few hours. In Chennai, Kamala Cinemas sold more than 10,000 tickets in minutes, while Mayajaal Multiplex filled 48 shows in less than an hour. The government has capped ticket prices at ₹190 in the city.
Across India, the film is scheduled to run in 8,000 shows, including more than 3,500 in Tamil Nadu alone. By Tuesday, July 21, advance bookings had already crossed 6 lakh tickets on opening day, and trade insiders estimated the figure to be around ₹15 crore. The first weekend’s global advance sales topped ₹27 crore, a remarkable haul for a film that has no pan‑India ambitions and is primarily driven by the Tamil market.
The ensemble cast features Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj and Narain, with music by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and editing by Pradeep E Ragav. The film’s political narrative reflects Vijay’s own journey from actor to chief minister, adding a layer of real‑world relevance to its storyline.
