As actor Vijay finally gets some relief for his much-anticipated film Jana Nayagan with the Madras High Court directing the CBFC to grant it a U/A certificate, one can't help but look back at two other Vijay films that had faced release issues: Kaavalan (Bodyguard) and Thalaiva (Leader). His political clout at that time was not as strong as today. The release issues that Jana Nayagan faced, then, might as well add to the hype surrounding it and help it score big.
Vijay is more equipped now than he ever was earlier to tackle such issues. His fan following has increased multi-fold from the days of Kaavalan to now, and even some of his not-so-successful films bring in Rs 300 crore revenues. However, the announcement that Jana Nayagan may be Vijay's last film throws up several questions.
Is this the right kind of story to end his stellar movie career with? Would the film satisfy his fans and the regular movie-goer alike?
For starters, I quite liked the trailer as it was crafted well and has a strong emotional story arc for a central protagonist. But when a hero announces that this is going to be his last film, and when that hero is Vijay, the expectations are bound to be huge. Hats off to director H Vinoth for having taken on this mighty burden.
A question remains as to why Vijay is signing off with a remake (Bagavanth Kesari is the Telugu film on which Jana Nayagan is based) when an original political drama or perhaps an action film could've done more magic? As an actor, Vijay in Lokesh Kanakaraj's Master was a revelation; so he was in the first half of Leo, too, where he displayed a certain sense of self-awareness as a mass hero fast turning into more of a people's leader off-screen. The writing on the wall was clear right from the time of Leo's release: Thalapathy (meaning 'Commander') was indeed going to get into full-time politics. Interestingly, Vijay was called Ilayathalapathy (younger Commander) in his initial years because MK Stalin, the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, was called Thalapathy in DMK circles, and Vijay's family had a strong DMK allegiance back then.
Vijay's career was fast-tracked post the blockbuster film Ghilli - which, interestingly, was a Telugu remake. His films and his career thereafter followed the trajectories of superstars such as Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi. But for the last few years, his onscreen persona has been modelled more around the erstwhile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the late MG Ramachandran (MGR). MGR, the first 'mass hero' of Tamil cinema, also had a swan song, though it couldn't make a huge box-office impression at the time. Maduraiyai Meeta Sundarapandian, meaning 'Sundarapandian - The King Who Reclaimed Madurai', was a Pongal release as well. It was an ambitious period film that MGR had directed, too, following the original filmmaker BR Panthulu's unfortunate demise. It is said that MGR filmed some parts of the movie after he took the oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977. The film was released on January 14, 1978, to a dismal response, but by then, MGR had already become the most beloved Chief Minister Tamil Nadu had ever seen. The film's failure had zero impact on his political success, all because MGR had built his reputation offscreen with as much aplomb as he had done for his onscreen do-gooder persona.
For Vijay, however, the challenges are far too many. His onscreen avatar is normally that of an entertainer-hero who dances, romances and exacts revenge in the climax, all with great effect. In Jana Nayagan, he's not doing any of that (like he did even in Leo and GOAT). Here, he is a middle-aged father, trying to empower and inspire his daughter; the original Telugu film had even won the National Award for its theme of women's empowerment. Vijay's punch lines seem to have a political agenda, but the core remains emotional and personal.
Jana Nayagan additionally has to bear the burden of being viewed as the film that marks Vijay's political entry and may aid his political career. The Karur tragedy, for one, still hangs like a Damocles' Sword over his head. It remains to be seen whether the film's core story will hold its ground when it comes to votes. Will fans turn into followers, and, more importantly, voters? The TVK's yet-to-be-announced manifesto will also indicate which way the wind will blow. Will Jana Nayagan pave the way for Vijay to transition from an onscreen hero to an offscreen people's leader - like movies such as Kaithi and Thuppakki have done in the past for him? We'll know only after Jana Nayagan hits theatres.
For now, given the vagaries of politics and the ebb and tide of Vijay's political stance, Jana Nayagan might just be his'interval', not necessarily 'The End' on the silver screen.
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
