Vijay’s Jana Nayagan is hitting screens across the state; cinemas are a good success

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s fans celebrate the release of Jana Nayagan at the Albert Theater in Chennai on Thursday. | Photo credit: R. RAGU

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s Jana Nayagan released on Thursday and drew crowds to theaters across the state. Cinema owners in the southern districts reported a noticeable increase in women attending “first day” shows.

Several theaters and multiplexes in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi saw healthy occupancy, while smaller theaters witnessed a relatively modest decline of around 40% to 50%.

On Friday, most cinemas in Chennai reported around 70% to 75% occupancy. Large multiplexes reported a full hall. However, theaters in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities reported bookings around 40%, with many expecting last-minute counter bookings. Even online ticket booking platform BookMyShow had several slots available in cinemas.

“On the first day, we had ticket bookings from the TVK cadre. A large number of female cadres also came. Generally, we see more women signing up for any of Vijay’s films, but this time the numbers were slightly higher.” said S. Jegan Agilan, managing partner of Jagan Cinemas in Ramanathapuram.

M. Manoj Kumar, managing director of Ganesh Cinemas in Melur, Madurai, said, “We have four screens and all of them are showing Jana Nayagan this weekend. We have seen a mixed audience of families and young women, with the number of female viewers slightly higher than usual.”

Udeep Reddy, executive director of Mayajaal, said the film ran in all 16 screens. “A pirated film that most fans have already seen has had a very good opening,” he said.

Social media was abuzz with posts claiming that tickets were being sold at exorbitant prices in some cinemas. However, two cinema owners pointed out that most tickets are sold online at fixed prices. They said people who buy tickets online can later sell them on the black market.

“We don’t know who buys tickets online. Whoever presents a valid ticket can enter the cinema. If the audience paid someone extra without our knowledge, it is not our responsibility,” said the cinema owner.

Many fans complained in several theaters in Tiruchi to cash in on the “first day, first show” craze, with tickets selling for over ₹500 on the black market. “My son wanted to watch a movie today but our local cinema tickets cost ₹500 so I refused. We will have to wait and watch the movie on TV or OTT later,” said the parent.

Most of the big theaters in Tiruchi have avoided offering bulk bookings to fan clubs so that everyone gets a chance to watch the movie. “We have kept the online ticket booking system at ₹190 per ticket. We want everyone to watch the film,” said an official from LA Cinemas in Tiruchi.

In the Madurai region, a large number of policemen were deployed outside a cinema where the film was being screened.

Published – 24 Jul 2026 0:52 IST