H. Vinoth’s partial remake of the Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari (2023) scores high on fanfare, ideology but falls short on production values.
Rating; 
( 1.5 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
Jana Nayagan (2026), Thalapathy Vijay’s last film, was initially meant to release in January, but it ran into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification. Producers KVN challenged the censorship in court, delaying it further. Then came the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which ruled out a release at that time, casting serious doubts over its future. They say nothing happens before its time. Six months later, C. Joseph Vijay stands as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The current unrest in Delhi, and the anger against the ruling Central government, may well favour a film that calls out divisive politics.
From facing an uncertain future for months, Jana Nayagan finally received a certificate from the CBFC two days before its release. Well, who could censor the Chief Minister’s film now? The 183-minute runtime also suggests that very few cuts were made. Expectedly, Jana Nayagan gets a wide release. It is dubbed in Hindi as Jan Neta.
The special (Hindi) screening today was intriguing from the first visual, where the film’s CBFC certificate appeared slightly hazy for 30 to 40 seconds before a clear version followed, showing that the film had been cleared by the Examining Committee itself. Perhaps, when the makers were struggling to secure a certificate, they chose to challenge the decision in court rather than apply for a review. There has also been a change at the CBFC, with Prasoon Joshi no longer at the helm. Nevertheless, one was always keen to know what in this film had made the CBFC sweat in the beginning.
Story
Thalapathy Vetri Kondan (Vijay) is a convict serving his sentence. The cops credit him for keeping them safe and ensuring that no inmate goes out of line. His good behaviour eventually earns him a sentence reduction. He forms a bond with jailor Srikanth (Gautham Vasudev Menon), who sadly succumbs to his injuries in the blast. Before breathing his last, Srikanth asks Vetri to take care of his little daughter, Viji (Lithanya), and fulfil his late wife’s wish of seeing their daughter join the Indian Army. Vetri raises Viji as his own child. Twelve years later, Viji (Mamitha Baiju) lacks the confidence to pursue her late parents’ dream. Before she can take the bold step, the girl is kidnapped by unknown men. Thalapathy Vetri soon unearths a larger threat facing the state, one engineered by an old foe long presumed dead.
Screenplay & Direction
Writer-director H. Vinoth and producer KVN have clarified that their film is just a partial remake of the Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari (2023). We haven’t seen the Nandamuri Balakrishna film, but just from reading about it, Jana Nayagan appears to be more than just a partial remake. Some at the special screening were heard saying that, so far (first half), it is a rehash of the Telugu film.
The primary conflicts appear the same, but H. Vinoth and KVN have raised the stakes in the battle. The story begins in a quaint region of Tamil Nadu, then briefly travels to Africa and Pakistan before returning to the home state. From a personal conflict, Jana Nayagan grapples with hate ideology and national security, with the final 45 minutes turning into a sci-fi battle. Yes, the climactic action scores on technical execution, but the film seldom engages through its exhaustive runtime. That is largely due to its ill-structured screenplay and poor Hindi dialogues. The overly stretched backstories make you lose track of the present day. By the time the film returns to the present, a sane viewer is likely to be disengaged.
Jana Nayagan, though, is clear in its political messaging and is not afraid to call out corruption and communal politics. It also doesn’t shy away from reverencing past greats like M.G.R., through murals and AI, and from taking utmost care of an old inmate who partly reminds of Periyar. A political thriller from Tamil Nadu, released a few months before the Assembly election, with the lead hero touted as a dark horse in his political debut, perhaps had heavyweights both in Tamil Nadu and in Delhi sweating. Given the cinematic fanfare, a Jana Nayagan release then would have been viewed as an agenda. Two months after the election, and with Vijay’s TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) registering a historic win, the film’s political idealogue is no longer a threat, but there are still a few things in the film where the makers appear to have lacked foresight.
In its struggle with the CBFC, there were reports suggesting that certain scenes in the film concerned the Indian Armed Forces, and as it turns out, those fears were not unjustified. Fathom this: here is the Indian Navy seizing a hostile vessel in the deep seas. This, however, was a trap that eventually leads to the death of 150 naval officers. Now, in the real world, such a loss could trigger a war with a familiar enemy. What is even more shocking is how one of the naval officers pleads with the baddie, John Himmler (Bobby Deol), to let him go and even calls him sir. Our Armed Forces would rather die for the nation than plead with the enemy for mercy. The kind of threat that the state and the nation face here is one that can only be neutralized by the Armed Forces, but here it is a former convict who leads the defense. It is just fiction, but come on – the Indian Armed Forces deserve more respect.
What’s really disturbing is the manner in which a senior Army officer is depicted at the training centre. When Viji (Baiju) first arrives at the academy, she is mocked by this officer as weak, and told that a woman like her is only fit for the kitchen. Phew, poor Karan Johar had faced flak for a similar faux pas in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020). It is far more embarrassing in Jana Nayagan.
The more worrying aspect of Jana Nayagan is its loose handling of terror, whereby it blames external enemies for terror orchestrated by internal enemies. Phew, such tropes are often used by the usual foe to propagate conspiracy theories, and Jana Nayagan is guilty of fanning such frivolous theories. The overemphasis on the internal threat has taken the YRF Spy Universe to a nadir. Maybe down south, the fans are a bit more lenient, but such tropes need to be critiqued.
Jana Nayagan is a snoozefest, but it cannot be faulted for taking a stance against communal politics and corruption, and, importantly, for placing faith in the Indian Constitution and democracy. If only such good intentions were backed by fine writing and astute direction.
Performances
It is hard to infuse life into a poor screenplay, and with the direction also lacking finesse, the onus fell on the actors to steady the rocking ship. Unfortunately, not many in the cast impress. The poor Hindi dubbing took us back to the dark days when many a South film was lost in translation. Nevertheless, Thalapathy Vijay does Vijay things. Like many South entertainers, Jana Nayagan too rides on the shoulders of its larger-than-life protagonist. Over-the-top drama and action are hard to digest for us, but it is what makes South stars into superstars, and superstars into demigods. This being Vijay’s last film naturally carries emotional value, with fans simply out to enjoy every moment of their beloved star. Beyond the stardom, Vijay and his director H. Vinoth take care to highlight women’s safety, particularly children’s safety. That scene where a teary Vijay educates schoolgirls on what constitutes inappropriate touching merits serious attention.
With the stakes high, the scope for fun is limited, but Vijay’s last film would be incomplete without the trademark Vijay dance sequence. The setting may be off-putting, but the seasoned actor charms the audience with his saucy moves.
Pooja Hegde is given due respect as the journalist Koyal, but director Vinoth did not bother to build an organic love story here. While being the heroine in Vijay’s last film has its appeal, Hegde would feel that her character is grossly undercooked, and her talent underutilized in this film.
What does Bobby Deol take away from Jana Nayagan? His first foray into the South with Kanguva (2025) proved to be a disaster, and Jana Nayagan does not do justice to Deol’s talent either. The name Himmler speaks for itself, and Vinoth does show what drove Amrish Poojary to become this psychotic man bent on destroying nations. But beyond that scene, there is very little that draws you to Deol.
Prakash Raj’s Roja Rangswamy is just another local cunning politician who exploits the meek to stay politically relevant. Honestly, the audience, too, has perhaps started to feel like this meek junta, with South filmmakers taking them for granted by rehashing old tropes in the garb of mass entertainers.
Young Mamitha Baiju has a fine screen presence, but ends up looking like a victim of her own poorly written character. Viji’s trauma is real, but watching Baiju proves to be a traumatic experience. Poor Priyamani and Nasser, too, feel wasted in their cameos.
Music & Technical aspect
Dubbing Tamil songs into Hindi comes with its own challenges. You barely pay attention to the few tracks. The BGM, though, is engaging in parts. Jana Nayagan is appealing in its cinematography (Sathyan Sooryan) , production design, and the man-vs-tech special effects.
Final thoughts
Beyond the emotional value, there is little to like about Vijay’s last film. Like gadgets, this film too compromises on A-grade quality to dole out a fan edition-like experience. 52 is perhaps the new 40, and while comebacks are never ruled out in cinema, Vijay Thalapathy’s fans deserved a better swansong film. The superstar has now embarked on a real political journey, where he has proved to be the Thalapathy (leader), in his opening innings in politics. He has long been the Thalapathy of Tamil Nadu, and going by his early actions, who is to say that he could become the Thalapathy of India? That is for the future. For all its faults, Jana Nayagan is still a gift for Vijay’s fans, his last film, and one that is likely to be cheered down south.
Video review below.
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