Fans can put some hope back in their timelines. Word on the street is that H Vinoth’s film is closing in on clearance as we head into July, and a mid-to-late month release is being put on the table. You won’t see it in an official statement just yet, but you can feel the change in the air.
Why fans are restless again
You would think once Vijay was made chief minister of Tamil Nadu in May, his put-on-hold movie would be given a pass. Not so. Two months of nothingness followed, which did little for people’s tempers or the meme-makers. The impasse has also come at a price; after the film was put out on some privacy sites, the makers had to eat the losses.
It all started in January. Right before they were to open on 9 January, the CBFC wanted to see the film again. Producers went to court to make it happen and keep their opening, but they didn’t get the ruling they wanted. So Jana Nayagan was put on ice.
Certification logjam and what changes now
But from what we are hearing, the matter with the CBFC is about to be put to rest. The film was in with them in December and has been with a Revising Committee per Rule 24 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules. A fix could be in the works this very month to set the release in motion.
All signs point to an ‘A’ for Jana Nayagan. For a big-time Vijay vehicle, that is an interesting decision, and it gives the exhibitors a clear line in the sand.
What an ‘A’ tag would mean
In India, that means 18 and up only. If you put two and two together, you get a certificate coming in at the six-month mark after the Central Board said no, and it has only made people more inquisitive.
Release windows and the crowded calendar
Should they get the go-ahead any time this week, we are looking at either the 16-17 or 23-24 of July. The rub is the other films vying for space. There are a few Tamil movies with those dates in the bag already, and more are in line for the end of the month.
This is how it is shaping up for July:
– The 16-17 and 23-24 are a no-go for new entries
– DC and Sigma are after theatres on the 31st
You have Arjunan Per Paththu, G.D.N, Arulvaan, Anbe Diana, Immortal and Sathyavan Savithiri in the mix for the middle of the month. One of these will have to give way, or we may have to wait for August. It is a case of nerves and excitement for the fan base.
Why this film carries extra weight
It is not your run-of-the-mill Vijay outing. This is his swan song as an actor before he throws himself into politics. That in itself is a draw. The Pongal slot was scuttled by the red tape, but the title has only put on some luster since then.
Then there is the tone of it. Put down as a police officer in a story from Anil Ravipudi’s Bhagavanth Kesari, it is the kind of part that, if the script is right, will have the audience in a lather and talking about it for days.
Cast, crew, and the package on offer
H Vinoth has put together a fine cast: Pooja Hegde, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Menon, Priyamani and Bobby Deol. KVN Productions is behind it, with Pradeep E Ragav on the edit, Sathyan Sooryan with the camera and Anirudh on the music side.
An ‘A’ might alter the family numbers in the theatre, but it doesn’t have to take the wind out of the sails. When you have a star with as much political clout as Vijay, the box office talk is as much about who can get in as it is about the film’s pull.
Two things are true for the moment. The noise is building and we still don’t have a stamp of approval. If the paperwork comes through, you could see it in July. If not, August is a fair bet. But for better or worse, Jana Nayagan is where it should be – in the conversation.
