With just two days to go for the release of CM Vijay's much-anticipated final film, Jana Nayagan, director H Vinoth has finally confirmed that the film is a partial remake of Nandamuri Balakrishna's 2023 hit Bhagavanth Kesari. Until its release date was officially announced in January, the makers had remained tight-lipped about speculation surrounding the remake. However, the trailer had already revealed several striking similarities between the two films. The makers then suffered a major setback when the film was leaked online, prompting social media users to point out even more parallels between the two films.
Speaking to Galatta Plus, H Vinoth opened up on why he chose a remake for actor-turned-Chief Minister Vijay's final film. The Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru filmmaker explained how he was hesitant on directing a remake once again after Ajith Kumar-headlined Nerkonda Paarvai (2019), which was the official Tamil remake of the Hindi courtroom drama Pink (2016). But it was Vijay who asked him to consider the film. Vinoth explained that Vijay has a strong desire to focus on women's empowerment, comparing it to how Ajith Kumar addressed similar themes in Pink. He notes that this interest is reflected in Vijay's work, citing the impact of the 'Singappenney' song.
"One thing I admire about Vijay sir is that he’s deeply committed to women's empowerment. I saw the same conviction in Ajith sir when we worked on the Pink remake. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to work on Vijay sir’s last film," said Vinoth.
When probed about how much of the film is inspired by Bhagavanth Kesari, H Vinoth said, "Jana Nayagan is about 50 per cent inspired by Bhagavanth Kesari. While the first half has 60 per cent similarity, the second half has only 20 per cent."
After a seven-month-long battle, the film recently cleared censorship formalities with an A certificate recently after 12 cuts/modidifications were suggested by the board. The film's uncut version will be available for audiences in the UK.
The upcoming film, slated to release on July 23, boasts a star-studded ensemble featuring Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol and Mamitha Baiju, alongside Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani.
Bhagavanth Kesari, released in 2023, featured Kajal Aggarwal, Sreeleela and Arjun Rampal in leading roles. Directed by Anil Ravipudi, the film earned the Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 71st National Film Awards.