Cinema VinesAfter a protracted legal saga, clashes with the Central Board of Film Certification, and a high‑profile leak, actor‑turned‑Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s final cinematic outing, Jana Nayagan, is slated for a theatrical release this week. The film, directed by H. Vinoth, was originally set to hit screens in January but faced repeated postponements before finally securing a release date.
Advance bookings for the movie opened four days ahead of the official premiere, shattering several pre‑release records. By Wednesday morning, the film had already raked in ₹15 crore from advance bookings alone, a figure that climbed to over ₹20 crore when blocked seats were factored in, with 6.5 lakh tickets sold on the first day. Globally, pre‑release collections exceeded ₹30 crore during the first weekend, although the bulk of these sales came from the Tamil version, with limited interest in non‑Tamil markets.
With 8,000 shows planned across India, including more than 3,500 in Tamil Nadu, Jana Nayagan aims for one of the widest releases for an Indian film. Trade insiders predict a net opening day haul of around ₹55 crore, potentially reaching ₹60 crore domestically, which would surpass Vijay’s 2018 blockbuster GOAT (₹44 crore net) but still trail his 2021 hit Leo (₹65 crore). Internationally, the film is expected to pull in over $4 million on its first day, pushing the worldwide total just over ₹100 crore.
If these projections hold, Jana Nayagan will become the 19th Indian film and the third Tamil film to cross the ₹100 crore threshold on opening day, eclipsing previous hits such as GOAT (₹99 crore), Jailer (₹91 crore), and Pathaan (₹104 crore). However, it will still fall short of Rajinikanth’s record‑breaking Coolie, which opened at ₹153 crore. As Vijay steps away from acting to focus on his political career, the film’s performance will be closely watched as a final testament to his box‑office legacy.
