Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ hits the screens across Tamil Nadu; theatres see good footfall
Cinema owners in the southern districts report a noticeable increase in women turning up for ‘first day’ shows. For Friday, most cinemas in Chennai say occupancy levels are around 70%-75%
Fans of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay celebrating the release of Jana Nayagan at Albert Theatre in Chennai on July 23, 2026 | Photo Credit: R. Ragu
Jana Nayagan, the movie starring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, was released on Thursday (July 23, 2024), drawing crowds to cinemas across the State. Cinema owners in the southern districts reported a noticeable increase in women turning up for ‘first day’ shows.
Several cinemas and multiplexes in Madurai, Coimbatore, and Tiruchi recorded a healthy occupancy, while smaller screens witnessed a relatively modest footfall of around 40%-50%.
Reduced bookings?
For Friday (July 24), most cinemas in Chennai said occupancy levels were hovering around 70%-75%. The big multiplexes reported a full house. However, cinemas in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns reported bookings of around 40%, with many expecting last-minute bookings at the counters. Even online ticket booking platform BookMyShow had multiple slots available across cinemas.
“On day one, we had TVK cadre booking tickets. A large number of women cadre also came in. In general, we see more women turning up for any of Vijay’s films, but this time the numbers were slightly higher.” said S. Jegan Agilan, Managing Partner of Jagan Cinemas in Ramanathapuram.
M. Manoj Kumar, Managing Director of Ganesh Cinemas in Melur, Madurai, said: “We have four screens, and all of them are showing Jana Nayagan this weekend. We’ve seen a mixed audience of families and young women, with the number of women moviegoers being slightly higher than usual.”
In Pictures: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' opens to fan frenzy
Star worship: A fan pours milk over Vijay's poster as part of the first-day celebrations of the Tamil movie 'Jana Nayagan' at a theatre in Ramanathapuram.
Ecstatic fans wave the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) flag at Casino Theatre in Chennai during the celebrations of the release of Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan'.
A variety of Vijay posters were on display during the FDFS celebrations of 'Jana Nayagan' at Rohini Silver Screens in Chennai.
Fan Fervour: Fans wear headbands bearing the title of Vijay's final film. 'Jana Nayagan' opened to a massive response in Tamil Nadu.
A huge garland adorns a poster of Vijay at a theatre in Ramanathapuram as fans turned up in large numbers to watch 'Jana Nayagan'.
Selfie time: Fans in Chennai pose for a picture in front of a poster of 'Jana Nayagan', Vijay's last movie directed by H. Vinoth
A sea of fans gathers at Rohini Silver Screens in Chennai for the first-day-first-show of 'Jana Nayagan'.
Scenes of celebrations by fans and TVK supporters in Ramanathapuram on the day of release of JanaNayagan movie that marks the end of TamilNadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s acting career.
Traditional touch: A group of 'chenda' drummers participate in the opening day celebrations of ‘Jana Nayagan' starring Vijay.
One last dance: Die-hard fans of Vijay dance and enjoy the celebrations at the Casino Theatre in Chennai ahead of the first show of 'Jana Nayagan'.
A huge cutout of Vijay at the Casino Theatre in Chennai on the release-day of 'Jana Nayagan', the political actioner directed by H. Vinoth.
At the Albert Theatre in Chennai, fans celebrate the release of 'Jana Nayagan' with the customary practice of pouring milk over the cutout of Tamil Nadu CM and superstar Vijay.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) P. Mathan Raja cutting a cake at Ganapathy theatre in Udhagamandalam for the release of ‘Jana Nayagan’ movie on Thursday.
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Udeep Reddy, Managing Director of Mayajaal, said the movie was running in all 16 screens. “For a film which got pirated, and which most of the fans have watched already, it has achieved a very good opening,” he said.
Complaints of exorbitant ticket prices
Social media was abuzz with posts claiming that tickets were being sold at inflated prices in some cinemas. However, two cinema owners pointed out that the majority of tickets are sold online at fixed prices. They said people who purchase tickets online may later resell them in the black market.
“We don’t know who is buying the tickets online. Whoever presents a valid ticket is allowed into the theatre. If movie-goers have paid extra to someone without our knowledge, it is not our responsibility,” a cinema owner said.
In several cinemas in Tiruchi, to cash in on the ‘first day, first show’ craze, tickets were being sold for upwards of ₹500 in the black market, many fans complained. “My son wanted to watch the film today, but tickets at our local cinema were priced at ₹500, and so I refused. We will have to wait and see the movie on TV or on OTT later,” a parent said.
Most major cinemas in Tiruchi avoided offering bulk bookings to fan clubs to give everyone an opportunity to watch the film. “We have maintained an online system for ticket booking, at ₹190 per ticket. We want everyone to watch the film,” an official from LA Cinemas in Tiruchi said.
In Madurai region, a large number of police personnel were deployed in front of cinema houses where the film was released.
Published - July 24, 2026 12:52 am IST
Source: The Hindu — National
