Vijay's films have a history of facing certain pre-release troubles, only to taste commercial success at the box office over time. Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth, is not a precedent when it comes to the aforementioned. Vijay himself is not new to things such as protests, backlashes, and legal troubles. He is also no stranger to the idea of turning stones into milestones and troubles into triumphs. Here are some of the films starring Vijay that faced pre-release problems and became successful in their own rights.

Mersal

The Atlee directorial faced much criticism from the AIADMK and the BJP for its apparent criticism of the state's medical industry, the nationally applicable Goods and Services Tax, and the so-called digital India concept. Further, even the Animal Welfare Board of India contributed to a delay in its censorship clearance for the film's unauthorised use of animals in some sequences. While Mersal released in its scheduled time for Diwali 2017, its makers postponed the film's Telugu version Adirindhi because of the controversies associated with the Tamil original.

A freedom of speech debate followed the row over the film across the nation. However, none of these affected the film's box office performance, as it turned out to be the first Vijay film to gross more than 200 crore from theatres worldwide. After all, it is 'Thalapathi' Vijay we are talking about.

Thuppakki

People of a certain vintage would do well to remember the calls for a ban on AR Murugadoss' Thuppakki, starring Vijay, Kajal Aggarwal, and Vidyut Jammwal. Some Islamic organisations asked for the ban, having raised objections to its portrayal of Muslims as terrorists. The film's makers also fought a battle with those of a film titled Kalla Thuppakki over title rights, although the latter withdrew the case and the original title remained with the Vijay starrer. The controversies affected the film's promotions as well.

The film's makers applied some minor cuts to the version submitted for censorship clearance and after the title clearance, the film opened in theatres to much audience appreciation and critical acclaim. It eventually went on to become the first Vijay film to get into the 100 crore club at the global box office.

Kaavalan

Director Siddique's Tamil remake of the Malayalam film Bodyguard, starring Dileep and Nayanthara, faced political pressure and ran into financial disputes at the time. Reportedly, distributors in Tamil Nadu backed out fearing the pressure and theatre owners showed reluctance in screening the film, starring Vijay and Asin. According to reports from back then, theatre owners wanted Vijay to compensate for the massive financial loss stemming from the box office failure of his film Sura, and he even obliged, giving his salary to them. Eventually, they showed opposition to the film, contributing to the cancellation of its first few shows.

Further, reportedly, DMK played a role in putting pressure on exhibitors to delay the film's release because Dhanush-Vetri Maaran's Aadukalam was also set to release around the same time. For the uninitiated, Aadukalam is backed by Sun Pictures, whose owner Kalanithi Maran and his family have a connection with DMK. Eventually, Vijay managed to ensure the film's release, reportedly with the help of the opposition party AIADMK.

Eventually, the film ran for a hundred days in theatres and helped reinforce Vijay's status as the hero of the masses.

Thalaivaa

The political elements in director AL Vijay's film allegedly contributed to opposition from the ruling government led by Jayalalithaa's AIADMK. The government stopped its original Tamil Nadu release, mentioning "law and order" concerns as the reason, following bomb threats against exhibitors in the state. Reportedly, it is the film's 'Time to Lead' tagline that contributed to the AIADMK opposition, as the government viewed it as a case of appeasing the masses and not as a film marketing ploy. Theatres in Tamil Nadu did not show the film even as it hit international markets and in other states even in the absence of a ban due to the political discourse and the safety threats concerning the film.

However, according to reports, the film would eventually have a delayed release in the state and go on to gross over 75 crore at the global box office. It also played a part in reinforcing Vijay's image of being against the establishment.

Sarkar

Ironical it would seem, but the same party that helped Vijay out of a hole around Kaavalan's release itself proved an obstacle to his other films. At the time, AIADMK workers protested the presence of certain political elements in the film, such as its criticism of government welfare programs and a negative character named 'Komalavalli,' Jayalalithaa's birth name. Protesters even picketed theaters and tore down the film's banners. Eventually, the makers muted some lines and removed controversial scenes in the film, although the backlash apparently worked in its favour. Reportedly, Sarkar grossed over 250 crore at the global box office and proved a commercial success.

Will it be the same in the case of Jana Nayagan? It will be shocking if Vijay's final film also does not taste 'vetri'. After all, it is a Vijay film.