From 5:30 am celebrations to an emotional FAREWELL: Vijay’s Jana Nayagan creates HISTORIC craze in Mumbai; ‘Honourable Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’ title card, ‘man of the masses’ dialogues, end-credits glimpses add to the MADNESS

It was a normal Thursday for most Mumbaikars. But in certain pockets of the city, celebrations were in full swing from as early as 5:30 am, as July 23 marked the release of Jana Nayagan, the final film of Thalapathy Vijay, who is now the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. There were apprehensions over whether the film would make the desired impact, especially since it had been leaked a few months ago. However, the frenzy surrounding the superstar and his swansong during the early-morning screenings made it clear that the leak had not affected the film one bit.

This writer watched the film at MovieMax Sion in Mumbai at 6:00 am. After the iconic Aurora Theatre downed its shutters, MovieMax Sion, followed by Miraj Wadala and theatres in Chembur, emerged as one of the city’s strongest-performing centres for Tamil films. MovieMax Sion particularly stands out for its proximity to neighbourhoods with sizeable Tamil population. Hence, watching a Tamil film there on the day of its release, especially before sunrise, is always a memorable experience.

But today’s experience was even more special, as Jana Nayagan marks the last time Vijay’s fans will get to see him on the big screen. As expected, when this writer reached the cinema hall, fans were dancing enthusiastically to the beats of musical instruments. The film started sharp at 6:00 am, and a few fans, who simply couldn’t stop dancing, even missed the opening minutes! They soon settled into their seats and enthusiastically enjoyed the on-screen histrionics of their favourite star.

Those who reached on time were treated to a cool surprise. Bollywood Hungama had reported a few days ago that Jana Nayagan’s title card would not read ‘Thalapathy Vijay’ and would instead mention ‘The Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay’. The report proved accurate, and the updated title card sent the cinema hall into a frenzy, just as expected. Fans also got up from their seats and danced merrily during the songs ‘Thalapathy Kacheri’ and ‘Oru Pere Varalaar’.

Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled to release on January 9, before the elections and before Vijay became Chief Minister. The delay may have proved to be a blessing in disguise, as several dialogues portraying him as a leader of the masses resonate even more strongly now. Certain one-liners that might otherwise have received a relatively restrained response sparked a frenzy in cinemas.

According to some viewers this writer spoke to, the end-credits sequence also contains a surprise, as it differs from the leaked version. The theatrical version’s end credits feature glimpses from Vijay’s glorious career, along with memorable moments involving his fans. The audience stayed until the very end and left only after the screen went black. They wanted to savour every last moment of their favourite star, knowing that this was the final time they would see him immortalized on the big screen.

Celebrations begin for release of #ThalapathyVijay's last film, #JanaNayagan at Moviemax, Sion, Mumbai. Have seen many films of his here FDFS but excitement this time is on another level as it's his last film... pic.twitter.com/d0PElb9J58 — Fenil Seta (@fenil_seta) July 23, 2026

Tamil cinema has produced several glorious superstars, but Vijay’s fandom has always been one of a kind. In Mumbai, Rajinikanth and Vijay have drawn crowds like few other stars from the Tamil film industry. With Jana Nayagan, a glorious chapter comes to an end, but it ends on a high. Vijay’s fans in Mumbai and across the world will undoubtedly miss seeing their favourite actor on the big screen. The hysteria and excitement he generated will be remembered for years to come, without a shred of doubt.

Also Read: As Jan Neta awaits censor certificate, Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, RGV and others stand with Thalapathy Vijay



from Featured Movie News | Featured Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama
via

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

22 years of Andaaz: Suneel Darshan reveals, "Sudden fallout of Akshay Kumar's dates required a quick decision to put up this project"

Producer Suneel Darshan’s Andaaz completes 22 years today. Directed by Raj Kanwar and starring Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta, the movie was a musical hit. On its 22nd anniversary, Suneel Darshan looked back at it in an interview with us. Andaaz is probably the biggest hit of your career Andaaz was a creation of destiny & fate. A sudden fallout of Akshay Kumar’s dates required a quick decision to put up a project. You swung into action? I roped in my team of writers Robin Bhatt & Shyam Goel along with a competent director-friend Raj Kanwar, who was going through a low phase, and Nadeem-Shravan to compose the music album, all of which was done in forty days of relentless effort. Just forty days? To bring in a novel effect, I decided to cast fresh girls opposite Akshay, hence Lara Dutta (Miss Universe) and Priyanka Chopra (Miss World) were introduced. The entire movie, shot in Mumbai, Pune and South Africa, was completed in six months flat. The...
Read more

Anupam Kher on Boycott Bollywood trend, “It will not affect a film”; shares his views on Laal Singh Chaddha’s failure

“Boycott Bollywood,” a trend that began in the wake of the Sushant Singh Rajput case, gained traction on social media in recent years, with many fans calling for a boycott of Bollywood films and actors. Among many other films, Laal Singh Chaddha starring Aamir Khan was also targeted by trolls. Actor Anupam Kher, who is known for his outspoken views on a range of topics, also spoke about the same recently and suggested a way to “kill the Boycott Bollywood” trend. It all happened during his recent interaction with ANI. Commenting on the Boycott Bollywood trend, Kher asserted, “I personally feel this trend will not affect a film. If your film is good, then it will work but if your film is bad, then it will affect it but not because of the trend. Everybody has freedom of expression. If an actor, actress, or film person has the right to say anything about any situation, then he/she should also be brave enough to sort of go through the situation.” Talking in the context of Aamir Khan’s fil...
Read more

Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor criticizes Bollywood’s current state, calls for investment in high-concept films: “It’s 2025 and the films that get green-lit are films that belong in the 1980s”

Actor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor, son of veteran actor Anil Kapoor, recently voiced his concerns about the state of Bollywood. Reacting to a social media post that declared, ‘Bollywood is finished,’ Harsh Varrdhan stated that the industry must move away from formulaic films and excessive focus on established stars. Instead, he urged producers to invest in low-cost, high-concept films that prioritize innovative storytelling. Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor on the Need for Change in Bollywood Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Harsh Varrdhan responded to a post lamenting the decline of Bollywood and the lack of active big stars. He emphasized that Bollywood’s survival should not be dependent solely on longstanding superstars but should instead focus on fresh, original narratives. “Bollywood isn’t and shouldn’t be only about stars that have been there and done that and formulaic films,” he wrote. “It’s time for producers and financiers to gamble on low-cost, high-concept films for cinemas without the usu...
Read more