For a moment, step into the shoes of filmmaker H Vinoth. You get the opportunity to direct ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay, in a politically-laden film that will mark his transformation from actor to politician. You make the film with the backing of KVN Productions, and just as you eagerly await its release during Pongal, it snowballs into a controversy. The delay in the censor certification indefinitely pushes the film’s release, and the subsequent legal battle makes one wonder if it will ever release at all. And, as if this isn’t enought to test your resolve, the film leaks online even before it arrives in theatres. On one hand, Vijay takes oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and on the other, your labour of love is being illegally watched by millions.

That Jana Nayagan finally hits screens on July 23 should have been joyous for Vinoth; except, it is not. “I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am happy that we have received the censor certificate, but also sad that we got an A-certificate. I am happy that the film is releasing, but I am also waiting to see if audiences will come to theatres to watch a film that was leaked. The bookings are strong, so I am hoping that people will support the film,” says Vinoth in a chat ahead of the film’s release. If there was a silver lining to the controversy surrounding Jana Nayagan, it was the show of support the film got from across the Indian film industry. “Many industry colleagues reached out to me. I also understand that a few others might have hesitated, fearing political pressure. But I thank all of them, including those who kept me in their thoughts,” says Vinoth.

However, when asked what emboldened him to brace through the storm, the filmmaker is quick to credit Vijay and the film’s producer Venkat K Narayana. If it were any other producer, Vinoth says, they would have taken it to the media and the Producers Council. “And if it were any other actor, they might have distanced themselves from the issue. But both my star and my producer stood united to face any problem that might arise. And that gave us a lot of hope. Secondly, I wanted that core message in the film to reach the people.”

Whether the ‘message’ reaches the audiences is what Vinoth now cares about — that’s all the filmmaker can look forward to as success for a film that has leaked online, he believes. “I care about whether the film impacts the lives of its audiences and brings about some change to their reality. If audiences from different religious, caste, linguistic and regional backgrounds come out of the film and vow to stay united, then that would be the victory of Jana Nayagan,” says Vinoth.

Vijay in a still from ‘Jana Nayagan’
\| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Jana Nayagan is the remake of the hit 2023 Telugu actioner Bhagavanth Kesari. Interestingly, it was Vijay who prompted Vinoth to watch the Nandamuri Balakrishna-starrer to see if it could be remade. While the original dealt with a larger-than-life character’s relationship with his daughter, the remake extends upon the original to explore psychological and political fear. “We had to add something special to the material because, today if audiences know it’s a remake, they will immediately watch the original. So we had to expand that core conflict.” And because the hero is a politician in real life, Vinoth had to make the father-and-daughter story into that of a leader. “Now, that leader needs to address an issue, and so we looked at what’s plaguing India in contemporary times. That’s what I wanted to do, and I even told Vijay sir that I would do this film only if I managed to crack that core conflict.”

While making Jana Nayagan, Vinoth was struck by Vijay’s work ethic, which he believes helped build the star’s on-screen aura. “He must have put in tremendous hard work to create a world for himself. I observed how he approaches what seems like an ordinary dialogue. After we finished a shot, he wouldn’t simply stay on set and chat with people; he would start preparing for the next shot, and he would converse with relevant technicians about it.” The director even says that if Vijay had worked a certain number of hours each day in his career, he must have worked every second of those hours. “As an actor, what I admired the most was that he is aware of what comes well to him and knows how to present those strengths.”

Filmmaker H Vinoth speaks about his upcoming film, Jana Nayagan, starring actor-turned-politician and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, in a conversation with The Hindu on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Chennai.
\| Photo Credit:
Thamodharan B

One would assume a star stepping into the political arena would try and tailor Vinoth’s film to boost his political career, but the filmmaker assures there was no interference. “In fact, even when we included some meta-political elements, he advised us to avoid them and ensure that it stays true to my school of filmmaking. Moreover, Vijay sir could have gotten any director to direct his final film, so he didn’t need to interfere and push me to do something.”

The retirement of ‘actor’ Vijay from films will be a huge loss to the film industry, says the director who has also helmed three films with Ajith Kumar. “Someone pointed out how he contributes to approximately 25% of the revenue generated in a year in Tamil cinema. As a director, I think, directors will miss the high salaries they would usually get for his films. As a storyteller, with a Vijay film, your content will reach even a child and play a stronger role in the lives of people. Tamil cinema will miss him,” he signs off.

Jana Nayagan releases in theatres on July 23

Published - July 22, 2026 03:50 pm IST