Thalapathy Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' delay incurred Rs.100 crore loss for Tamil cinema, says THIS star

‘Jana Nayagan’ directed by H. Vinoth and starring Vijay, which was delayed for Pongal due to censor issues, is now under a court case, and there is no exact date for the verdict. Fans were really looking forward to the movie. It was expected to be a big festival release. It also gained importance because it is Vijay’s film after his political entry. Many even said it could be his last film. Fans had planned grand celebrations. The movie, however, has not been released, which has caused significant disappointment to the fans. The delay did not just affect emotions. It also created a big financial loss for the Tamil film industry.In an interview with India Today, box office analyst Ramesh Bala shared shocking numbers. He said that ‘Jana Nayagan’ not releasing caused a loss of around Rs 100 crore to the Tamil box office. He explained it in simple terms. He said the film ‘Parasakthi’ earned Rs 55 crore in Tamil Nadu. Another film, ‘Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil’, earned more than Rs 30 crore. Together, January collections in Tamil Nadu were only around Rs 85 crore. But if ‘Jana Nayagan’ had released, it alone could have earned between Rs 150 to Rs 200 crore. According to him, the absence of this one big film created a huge gap in box office numbers and business flow. The problem started when a censor official objected to certain scenes in the film. The official said some scenes could hurt religious sentiments. As a result, the film censors refused to give the movie a certification. The film crew off and on tries to solve the problem. But the censor board did not change its stand. After that, the producers went to court. At first, a single judge ordered that a U/A certificate should be given. Later, in an appeal case, the verdict went in favour of the censor board. The case then moved between the High Court and Supreme Court. Recently, it was again sent back for a fresh hearing before a single judge.Because of this long legal process, the film team is under heavy stress. There is still no clarity on when the case will end. Reports say the producers may withdraw the case and approach the censor board again. They may take this decision in the next court hearing. The delay of ‘Jana Nayagan’ has clearly shown how one big film can affect the whole industry’s box office and confidence.