- Hundreds of Vijay fans gathered early at Rohini Theatre for Jana Nayagan's first show
- Fans traveled from across Tamil Nadu and Malaysia to attend the film's opening day
- Theatre compound featured music, dance, drum beats, whistles, and chants before screening
Chennai woke up to celebration mode on Thursday as hundreds of Tamil Nadu CM and superstar Vijay fans gathered outside Rohini Theatre hours before the first show of Jana Nayagan, transforming the cinema complex into a sea of music, dance and anticipation.
Long before sunrise, fans had begun assembling outside the theatre. Many said they had spent the night waiting for the moment the gates would open. By 7 am, as fans were allowed into the theatre compound, loud cheers erupted, setting off another round of celebrations ahead of the 9 am first-day-first-show.
Dressed in Vijay-themed T-shirts, carrying banners, posters and cut-outs, fans poured in from different parts of Tamil Nadu. Some had travelled overnight from Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Salem, while a few had flown in from Malaysia to be part of the opening-day experience.
Outside the theatre, giant speakers blared Vijay's hit songs as groups of fans danced relentlessly to every tune for hours. Drum beats, whistles and chants echoed through the compound, creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of a festival than a movie release.
The excitement showed little sign of fading despite hours of waiting. With entry into the screens yet to begin, fans continued singing, dancing and posing for photographs under giant Vijay cutouts, hoardings and banners erected for the release.
“This is not just a film for us. We have been waiting for this day for months,” said Arun Kumar, a fan from Madurai who arrived in Chennai late on Wednesday night. “We barely slept, but the excitement keeps us going.”
A group of fans from Malaysia, who had travelled specifically for the release, said they wanted to experience a Vijay film in Tamil Nadu at least once. “We watch all his films back home, but the atmosphere here is completely different. It feels like a celebration for the entire state,” said one of them.
For many gathered at Rohini, the hours before the first show were as important as the film itself.
“The movie starts at 9 am, but our celebrations started months ago,” laughed another fan, waving a banner bearing Vijay's image. “We wanted to be here for every moment. People tried to stop this film, but they couldn't. And now the film is releasing after he became CM. It can't get better than that. This is the most memorable moment for us.”
As the countdown to the first show continued, the crowd only grew larger. Every mention of Vijay's name drew cheers, every song triggered fresh dance performances, and every passing minute heightened the anticipation.
With the gates to the screens still closed and thousands waiting eagerly for their turn to enter, one thing was already clear: even before the first frame of Jana Nayagan appeared on screen, its release day had become an event in itself.