Blog | What's Stopping Vijay's Film? 6 'Conspiracy Theories' About Jana Nayagan

In Tamil Nadu, it turns out you don't need a release date for the promise of a blockbuster. Sometimes, just a missing censor certificate is enough. The delay in clearing actor Vijay's Jana Nayagan has now devolved into a full-blown political whodunnit, complete with villains, secret alliances, and strategic silences that are being analysed with more intensity than in the film's actual screenplay.

With elections on the horizon and Vijay's political avatar under constant scrutiny, the absence of an official explanation has ensured one thing: imagination is working overtime.

Conspiracy Theory 1: BJP Is Targeting Vijay to Force an Alliance

The theory doing the rounds in TVK and fan circles sees the BJP as the 'unseen' hand behind the controversy. According to this version, Jana Nayagan is being held hostage to send Vijay a gentle but firm reminder about "adjustments" in Tamil Nadu politics. Those who subscribe to this theory believe that this is a pressure tactic to arrive at some understanding with the national party to boost its political position in Tamil Nadu and coerce Vijay into an alliance or a tacit understanding. Let's not forget that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also summoned Vijay in the stampede case.

This is also the Congress's allegation: that the BJP is using the film board to put political pressure on Vijay.

 Conspiracy Theory 2: A BJP-DMK 'Understanding' 

Naturally, no conspiracy in the state is complete without a DMK cameo. This theory confidently asserts that there is a BJP-DMK "understanding" behind the scenes - though both parties swear by the fact that they are arch enemies. However, in Tamil Nadu politics, denial often only strengthens belief.

The peddlers of this theory claim that this 'understanding' is to ensure that Vijay doesn't have a clear run and that his film doesn't set the political narrative in Tamil Nadu.

Conspiracy Theory 3: BJP Is Targeting Vijay - To Help Him

In a plot twist that's right out of cinema itself, the BJP's targeting of Vijay, many believe, is only to make him stronger. The logic: delay the film, turn Vijay into a martyr, consolidate his base, and simultaneously give the DMK a headache.

Here, the BJP is not a villain but a master chess player, allegedly nurturing Vijay as a strategic asset. Whether this is political brilliance or overestimation is left to the audience.

 Conspiracy Theory 4: Enter Parasakthi 

Another theory shifts suspicion away from rival politics to TVK's strategic game plan. The argument is that Jana Nayagan's makers are quietly nervous about Parasakthi, the upcoming Red Giant-distributed film linked to Udhayanidhi Stalin and the DMK.

With themes rooted in the 1960s anti-Hindi agitations and heavy doses of Tamil sentiment, Parasakthi is expected to tug at emotional heartstrings and dominate political conversations. The fear, allegedly, is that if Parasakthi lands hard, Jana Nayagan could end up feeling like yesterday's headline. So, a delay may actually fit into Vijay's political script.

Conspiracy Theory 5: Delay Now, Dominate Later

This one is a continuation of the earlier theory: let Parasakthi release, let the dust settle, and then bring in Jana Nayagan closer to election time, when political messaging matters more than box-office collections.

In this version, timing is everything, and patience is a political virtue. 

Conspiracy Theory 6: The Boring But Possible Truth

Then there is the least exciting theory of all - nothing is happening. No politics. No pressure. No chessboard. Just a routine certification delay - the kind Vijay's films have seen before.

Supporters of this theory point to the loudest evidence of all: silence. The TVK hasn't cried foul. Vijay hasn't hinted at victimhood. Fans haven't taken to the streets. In Tamil Nadu, this level of calm is often a sign that bureaucracy, not politics, is at work.

Until clarity emerges, Jana Nayagan is already successful in one department - generating conversation. Whether the delay is a political masterstroke, cinematic strategy, or just paperwork moving at its own leisurely pace is anyone's guess.

In the end, the biggest irony may be this: even before the censor certificate arrives, the film has turned into a political thriller in itself, just not in the way it was originally scripted.

(The author is Executive Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author