- Vijay's film Jana Nayagan released on July 23 in theatres
- Vijay faced harsh criticism for his 1992 debut Naalaiya Theerpu
- Vijay was deeply affected by negative reviews at age 20
Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan has finally hit theatres today, July 23. While fans are celebrating the actor-turned-politician's final film, an old interview has resurfaced, bringing back stories from the actor's early years.
In an interview with Behindwoods, Vijay's close friend and actor Sanjeev spoke about a difficult phase in the star's life. Long before becoming one of Tamil cinema's biggest names, Vijay had to deal with harsh criticism after his debut film Naalaiya Theerpu. Directed by Vijay's father SA Chandrasekhar, the 1992 project also starred Keerthana, Easwari Rao and Srividya.
According to Sanjeev, the reviews for Naalaiya Theerpu affected the young actor deeply. Recalling those days, Sanjeev said, “Vijay cried..he cried a lot...he literally cried all night. No debut hero wants to receive harsh remarks, that too from a leading magazine.”
He explained that Vijay was only 20 years old and was still finding his place in the industry. Negative comments at that stage were difficult to accept.
“At the age of 20, anyone would be vexed in such situations. If it was today's Vijay, he would have handled the situation better.”
Sanjeev also pointed out how things changed over the years. Vijay slowly proved himself with his work and earned respect across the industry.
“Later, the same magazine waited for Vijay to give them his approval for a still on their magazine cover. This is an achievement right.”
Coming back to Jana Nayagan, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's final film before he stepped into politics full-time has been directed by H Vinoth. Jana Nayagan also features Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol and Mamitha Baiju in important roles.