While the 9 am shows are yet to begin in Tamil Nadu, fans in other states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have already started their celebrations for Vijay's swansong Jana Nayagan with the former actor's Chief Minister title card garnering loud screams and cheers in theatres. The festive fervour has been high in the home state as well, as many travelled to neighbouring states to catch a glimpse of their favourite star for one last time in theatres.
Despite shows starting at 9 am, massive crowds thronged outside famous theatres in Chennai, especially Rohini Cinemas where several large cut-outs of the star-turned-politician were placed outside the screens. Music systems were organised to play Vijay's hit songs, not just from Jana Nayagan, but also from other movies like The Greatest of All Time (2024), directed by Venkat Prabhu. Hit numbers like 'Raavana Mavandaa' and 'Matta' were welcomed with impromptu dances from fans. Further, fans were also spotted chanting Vijay's party name 'TVK'.
Responses elsewhere have been largely positive as social media users have been sharing rave reviews of several high points in the film. They also praised Vijay and Mamitha Baiju's performance in the actioner.
Vijay's Jana Nayagan release marks the end of a six-month-long battle with the CBFC for the actor, director H Vinoth and production house KVN Productions. The film recently received an A certificate from the CBFC with over 12 cuts/modifications. However, it will be released in the UK without any cuts.
Despite being plagued by several hurdles, including a large-scale piracy where the entire film was leaked, the film is expected to open with record-breaking numbers with trade circles predicting a mammoth day 1 collection of over Rs 100 crore. Around 8,000 shows are planned across India, including more than 3,500 in Tamil Nadu.
Directed by H Vinoth, the upcoming film boasts a star-studded ensemble featuring Pooja Hegde, and Bobby Deol, alongside Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani.
The film is backed by Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions, in its foray into Tamil cinema. Jana Nayagan is also a partial remake of the 2023 Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari.