This Pongal, Tamil cinema isn't just selling tickets - it's signalling the opening moves of the 2026 assembly election.
January 9 and 10 promise more than the usual festive box-office fireworks in Tamil Nadu. They mark a cinematic clash freighted with political meaning - one that could shape the narrative heading into the 2026 Assembly elections. On one side is Jana Nayagan, Vijay's much-hyped "final film" before he focused entirely and only on winning the 2026 assembly elections. On the other hand is Parasakthi, a title that echoes with the ideological thunder of Dravidian politics itself. This is not merely a contest between two films; it is a proxy battle for political space, symbolism, and supremacy.
At the centre of this confrontation stands Vijay - the undisputed "X factor" in Tamil Nadu's political landscape. His entry into politics has disrupted a system long defined by the DMK-AIADMK binary that has dominated the state since 1967. By positioning the 2026 election as a direct contest between the DMK and his own Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Vijay has declared his intent to rewrite the rules of the game.
Importantly, Vijay is not an ideological disruptor. He has publicly endorsed Dravidian ideology and embraced its political traditions. His challenge is not to the idea of Dravidianism itself but to the electoral dominance of the two parties that have historically claimed ownership of it. That makes him a far more dangerous challenger - an insider with mass appeal, not an outsider railing against the system.
Jana Nayagan, which Vijay has declared will be his final film, appears tailor-made for this political moment. Early indications suggest a familiar but potent narrative: the righteous mass hero taking on a corrupt and unjust system. The subtext is hard to miss. This is Vijay, the star, rehearsing Vijay, the politician, toppling a decaying order and offering a new alternative. If the tone for 2026 hasn't already been set, Jana Nayagan aims to set it.
From a purely commercial standpoint, the film's success seems all but assured. Vijay's recent track record has made him arguably the most bankable star in Tamil cinema today, if not in India. Box-office dominance has become his default mode.
Yet, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is not content to cede this symbolic space uncontested. Its counter comes in the form of Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan, another rising superstar but one whose film carries weight far beyond its leading man.
The title Parasakthi is inseparable from Tamil cinema's political history. The 1952 classic, featuring Sivaji Ganesan and scripted by M Karunanidhi, was a cinematic manifesto. Its iconic courtroom monologue - an excoriation of God, social inequality, religious orthodoxy, and moral hypocrisy - became a rallying moment for the Dravidian revolution. Released just two years after the DMK's formation, the film functioned as powerful propaganda to sow the seeds for many such cinematic moments that culminated in an electoral revolution. "Odinen Odinen, Vazhkaiin Ellairke Odinen" (I ran and ran, I ran till the end of life itself) thundered Shivaji Ganesan passionately. It has echoed in the Dravidian political theatre since.
The 2026 Parasakthi, directed by the largely apolitical Sudha Kongara, is unlikely to replicate that radical substance. But it doesn't need to. The power lies in the name and in the machinery behind it. The film is being distributed by Red Giant Movies, founded by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, a company frequently accused of wielding disproportionate influence over film distribution in the state.
The decision to release Parasakthi on January 10 - just a day after Jana Nayagan - is strategic to the point of provocation. It creates the unmistakable optics of a direct challenge to Vijay at the box office during the lucrative Pongal window. Notably, the release was advanced from January 14, a move that followed Vijay's fiery Erode rally, where he branded the DMK an "evil force". The timing suggests retaliation as much as competition.
Red Giant, founded by Udayanidhi Stalin and now run by his son, has been accused several times of leveraging political power to secure screens and crowd out rival releases. This time, too, there will be a battle for theatres between the two releases, which could lead to sharp political accusations.
The fact that Red Giant is releasing a film with a politically enormous title in a politically timed manner to challenge Vijay, arguably DMK's most powerful threat, leaves no doubt that Parasakthi is political.
An impact on Jana Nayagan's opening collections would be symbolically significant for the DMK, but this is not about money. This is about the perception of a cinematic and political challenge to Vijay.
Beyond box-office tallies, Parasakthi sends a clear political message: the DMK is ready for Vijay's challenge. It reasserts the party's claim as the original custodian of Dravidian ideology and attempts to dilute the political conversation Vijay hopes to dominate with Jana Nayagan. It is also a calculated risk. If Parasakthi underperforms, Vijay's supremacy - cinematic and political - will only grow. If it succeeds in challenging his narrative, it becomes a strategic win for the DMK.
Inevitably, this confrontation will create friction within the film industry itself, particularly in the scramble for theatres. Many exhibitors and producers may find themselves caught in the crossfire of what increasingly looks like a personal rivalry between Udhayanidhi Stalin and Vijay - a rivalry that has been simmering for years.
There is an ironic footnote to this drama. Sivakarthikeyan appeared in a cameo in Vijay's recent blockbuster, GOAT. In a light-hearted exchange at the end, Vijay quips that he will take care of politics and asks Sivakarthikeyan to take care of Tamil cinema. At the time, it drew laughs.
The CBFC asking for extensive cuts to Parasakthi will form substance for accusations of the Centre playing its part to bolster Vijay. That Vijay has been decisively more antagonistic towards the DMK and softer on the BJP post the Karur stampede hasn't gone unnoticed.
This January, there will be little that is funny about it. As Jana Nayagan and Parasakthi collide, Tamil Nadu will witness a uniquely filmy prelude to a very real political battle. The Pongal box office may well offer the first clues to how the road to 2026 will unfold.
(The author is Executive Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
