Will Vijay promote Jana Nayagan actively as TN CM? Producer says ‘people come first’

Talking about the same, Jana Nayagan producer Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions told NDTV, “The position that he is in right now, and the responsibility that he is carrying under the Constitution, mean that he may not be able to do a few things that he used to do before because of protocol and other considerations. But all that I know is that people are close to his heart. He did mention that people stood by him for such a long time, and now he wants to stand by the people and be there for them. In the Indian context, many actors choose to enter politics after their careers in films or their respective fields are over. But Vijay sir is very different.”

“He is at the peak of his film career and, by far, has been the highest-paid actor in the country. Despite all that, he chose, at the highest point of his film career, to enter politics and serve the people. So, yes, people come first, and films are definitely close to his heart. But given the responsibility he has right now, to what extent we can have celebrations, premieres or events is something we need to deliberate on, discuss and then take a final call,” he added.

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Venkat K Narayana also assured Vijay’s fans that they can hope to find several Easter eggs linked to his political entry in the latest version of Jana Nayagan. “I don’t know what I can or cannot tell at this juncture. But what I must say is that there have been a lot of modifications and additions to the film. What audiences are going to experience in cinemas is going to be very different, with the addition of some songs and other changes,” said  Narayana.

“This film has gone through a lot of challenges since the beginning of this year to reach where it is today. I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But all that I can tell you is that every film of Vijay sir’s is always designed around social causes, concerns and justice. This film is no exception. There is a strong, compelling story that we are telling through this film. It will engage the audience and also educate them in some way. It is definitely relatable to audiences across age groups, generations and across the globe,” added the producer.

Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan’s long journey to the screens

Despite submitting Jana Nayagan to the CBFC in the second half of December, the film didn’t receive certification despite the producers agreeing to make the suggested changes. When they moved Madras High Court, it came to light that despite being cleared by the examining committee, CBFC Chairperson Prasoon Joshi recommended it to the revising committee owing to alleged complaints raised due its depiction of religious sentiments and the armed forces.

The legal battle that followed kept the film in limbo for several months. While a single judge directed the CBFC to issue a U/A 16+ certificate at the earliest, a division bench led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava later set aside that order and sent back the matter to the single judge for fresh consideration.

With the film entangled in prolonged litigation, the makers eventually withdrew their writ petition against the CBFC.

Amid the certification row, Jana Nayagan suffered another major setback when it was leaked online in April. The Tamil Nadu Police later arrested multiple people in connection with the leak, including a freelance film editor. During proceedings before the Madras High Court, the prosecution informed the court that the pirated version had been viewed by nearly 1.2 crore people before authorities were able to block access.

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Directed by H. Vinoth, Jana Nayagan also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani.