Vijay’s final film before his full-time political innings, Jana Nayagan, releases on July 23, and the Jana Nayagan openings are generating intense debate. While fans initially expected a record-breaking launch for Thalapathy Vijay’s swan song, early indicators suggest the film may face a softer start than anticipated.
Opening Expectations vs Reality
The film was expected to register the biggest opening ever for a Kollywood film, building on Vijay’s track record with Leo, which earned ₹148.5 crore worldwide on Day 1 in 2023. However, early booking trends and other factors suggest that Jana Nayagan is unlikely to match those levels or even Coolie’s recent ₹150 crore opening.
At this stage, the bigger question is whether the film can even achieve a ₹100 crore worldwide opening. Weekend bookings also do not show the kind of rush seen for Vijay’s previous films, despite this being his final on-screen appearance.
Impact of Leak and Postponements
The leak incident and multiple postponements appear to have impacted the film’s pre-release momentum significantly. Originally scheduled for a Pongal release in January 2026, the film faced censor delays and was eventually pushed to late July—well past the peak festival window that typically drives massive openings for star vehicles.
The unfortunate leak of the film online dealt another blow to the buzz, with lead actress Mamitha Baiju calling it “painful and unfortunate” for the team’s hard work. These setbacks have undoubtedly cooled the initial frenzy around Vijay’s final film.
Can Positive Word of Mouth Save the Day?
However, if the initial word of mouth is positive, the box office trajectory can change completely from Day 1 onward. Vijay’s films have historically shown strong legs when content connects with audiences, and a solid thriller directed by H. Vinoth with Anirudh Ravichander’s music has the ingredients to turn sentiment around quickly.
That said, even under these circumstances, delivering such a huge opening is a difficult task for any star. Vijay’s stardom alone is strong enough to pull Jana Nayagan to one of the biggest openings in Kollywood, despite all the factors working against the film. The next few days will reveal whether the Thalapathy magic can overcome the obstacles and give his fans the blockbuster farewell they’re hoping for.