Cinema VinesDirector H Vinoth has confirmed that Vijay’s upcoming film "Jana Nayagan" is a remake of the 2023 Telugu blockbuster "Bhagavanth Kesari", putting months of speculation to rest. In an interview with Galatta Plus, Vinoth disclosed that roughly 50% of the new Tamil film is adapted from the Telugu original, with the first half showing about 60% overlap and the second half around 20%.
Vinoth admitted he was initially hesitant to take on a remake, but changed his mind after Vijay, who had watched "Bhagavanth Kesari" five times and loved it, encouraged him to revisit the idea. He was particularly intrigued by the challenge of translating a role that was originally played by Nandamuri Balakrishna into a persona suitable for Vijay. The director also cited his admiration for Vijay’s commitment to stories centered on women’s empowerment as a key factor in accepting the project.
The filmmaker compared the experience to his work on Ajith’s Tamil remake of "Pink", "Nerkonda Paarvai", noting that both actors shared a similar conviction in supporting such subjects. Vinoth said he did not want to miss the chance to direct what has been announced as Vijay’s final film before the actor turns full‑time to politics.
Speculation that the film was a remake first surfaced in January 2025 when actor VTV Ganesh claimed Vijay had watched the Telugu film five times, loved it, and was keen on remaking it. Director Anil Ravipudi, however, repeatedly declined to confirm the reports and said he would not reveal whether the film was a remake before its release, despite confirming that he had met Vijay.
With the confirmation from Vinoth, the mystery is officially over. "Jana Nayagan" also stars Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol, and is slated to hit theatres on July 23. The original "Bhagavanth Kesari", directed by Anil Ravipudi, starred Nandamuri Balakrishna, Sreeleela, Kajal Aggarwal and Arjun Rampal in key roles.
