Not only as a politician but also as an actor, Vijay has faced release issues for his films over more than a decade.
From Vijay's 50th movie Sura (2010) to now Jana Nayagan (2026), he has encountered challenges in some form while releasing his movies for almost 15 years.
2010 - Sura
Initially, Sura was titled Sura - The Leader, but it faced issues because of the title and tagline "The Leader." The title was then changed to Sura. It got released without delay; however, its box office performance was a big flop.
2011 - Kavalan
Faced release issues due to a financial dispute with the TN Theatre Owners Association following losses from Sura. Some alleged political pressure from DMK against Vijay. Reports say then-CM Jayalalithaa helped Vijay get the movie released.
2012 - Thuppakki
A turning point in Vijay's career. Faced protests from Muslim organisations alleging the movie hurt religious sentiments and portrayed Muslims in a bad light.
2013 - Thalaivaa
Faced release issues-a delayed release of over a week in Tamil Nadu for unclear reasons. There were allegations of interference from the then-ruling AIADMK under CM Jayalalithaa, who was reportedly unhappy with the title Thalaivaa: Time to Lead. Vijay released a video clarifying the matter and reportedly tried to meet Jayalalithaa but was unable to reach her.
2014 - Kaththi
Produced by LYCA. Pro-Tamil groups protested against LYCA and the movie, as LYCA is a Sri Lankan company. They warned of protests. It was released with huge police protection across theatres. Even after release, there were issues over story theft allegations from a director against the Kaththi director Murugadoss.
2015 - Puli
Financial issues and distribution pressure-not a smooth release.
2017 - Mersal
Post-release, there was huge criticism for portraying doctors and hospitals in a bad light, along with political pressure over dialogues against GST and demonetisation.
2018 - Sarkar
Post-release issues due to criticising freebies by political parties. There were also protests against the movie.
In between, many movies had smooth releases without many issues.
After his political plunge, Jana Nayagan faces similar issues to those Thalaivaa faced in 2013. But last time, the release was postponed only in TN; this time, it is everywhere.
