CM Vijay's last film, Tamil Nadu's biggest celebration
Fans across Tamil Nadu packed the theatres on Thursday morning for the first-day-first-show release of "Jana Nayagan," Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's final film, turning what would normally be a routine box-office opening into a statewide celebration mixed with sorrow.
The movie was initially delayed for months, and finally hit big screens. Fans danced outside cinemas and set off fireworks even though many acknowledged the movie release closes the book on Vijay's three-decade acting career.
The film is currently running on 1,000 of the state's 1,168 screens, giving it a commanding hold on Tamil Nadu's exhibition market.
In Mayiladuthurai, fans performed traditional milk abhishekams on giant cutouts of the Chief Minister. In Chennai, theatres including Rohini Silver Screens, Woodlands and Casino were decked out with massive hoardings, one declaring Vijay the state's singular power center.
Drone light shows lit up the sky over several screenings while fans cut multi-tiered cakes to mark the occasion. A chariot-style vehicle greeted moviegoers near Chennai and one supporter painted his car with Vijay's image. Custom T-shirts reading "Thangamey Thalapathy" were a common sight, and even a pair of Japanese fans joined the celebrations at a Chennai theater.
Although, not every headline was celebratory as videos of disputes over inflated ticket prices circulated on social media, briefly overshadowing the festive mood.
State ministers turned out to mark the moment. In Coimbatore, Minister V. Sampath Kumar said watching Vijay's last film stirred conflicting emotions after 30 years as a fan first. He said the state's leaders are absorbing that emotional weight because the state now needs Vijay in his role as chief minister.
In Chennai, Minister Arun Raj pointed out Vijay's discipline throughout his acting career, saying that same work ethic has carried over into his political role.
Composer Anirudh Ravichander, Speaker JCD Prabhakar, actress Keerthy Suresh, Senior Minister N. Anand and producer Venkat Narayana were also seen at Chennai screenings.
For longtime supporters, Vijay's shift from film star to chief minister came with an unspoken code of conduct. In Madurai, a fan named Kaniraj said crowds who once pushed back against police requests to quiet down complied without argument Thursday mindful of not embarrassing Vijay in his new office.
Families made the day a shared milestone. In Namakkal, Jyothi Lakshmi brought her daughter to the theater, saying the child skipped school because it was both her first film in a cinema and Vijay's last.
Another fan in Namakkal said the devotion once reserved for Vijay's films would now be redirected toward his political career, vowing continued support as he moves forward in public office.
Vijay watched a private screening of the film with select government officials in Chennai on Wednesday evening, a quiet coda to a cinematic run that formally ended Thursday in theaters statewide.
(with inputs from PTI)
