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Indian Tamil superstar Vijay’s final film, Jana Nayagan, has been leaked online, even though it hasn’t been released in theatres yet.
On Thursday night, small clips from the film were shared on social media, and by Friday morning, HD prints of the full film were uploaded to piracy sites.
The unreleased film has yet to receive CBFC clearance and has been in limbo for three months. The leak, which comes just before Vijay’s entry into politics with the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, has rattled the Tamil film industry.
On Friday, social media posts surfaced showing high-quality prints of Jana Nayagan being uploaded to piracy sites. Even as Vijay fans urged others not to share the links, the number of prints online kept increasing. Many noted that while earlier only 5-10-minute sequences of the film had been shared online, the complete film had now been uploaded. Many disappointed fans speculated about the source of the leak since the film is weeks away from release.
Fans of Vijay and industry insiders have reacted with anger to the leak. Amutha Bharathi, a cinema influencer, wrote on X, “A 400-500Crs film just got leaked overnight!! Toughest time for the Producer, distributor and the whole team. They should have been more cautious, as the film has gone into already serious troubles. Now the only & better way is to release JanaNayagan ASAP in the Theatres, if they got censor certificate.”
Movies Singapore, a prominent trade account, added, “#JanaNayagan – SHOCKING!! The entire movie has been leaked in premium HD quality. It is already circulating among many people, and many scenes are now out on social media. Despite fast copyright actions, the situation may only worsen from here. An earliest possible theatrical release is the only way forward.”
Many took the leak as a direct attack against Vijay. Film producer G Dhananjheyan tweeted, “@KvnProductions must move the court immediately and get all such links are removed and taken down before it’s too late and the film is watched by millions. Film business is becoming dangerous and highly unpredictable with these kind of dangers all around a film. How much more you guys will target #ThalapathyVijay ‘s last film. ???”
Recalling the entire dramatic timeline of the movie’s delayed release and non-certification, one fan account wrote, “Thalapathy Vijay- They try to block your film… and just before the new release announcement, leaks start surfacing
That’s what happens WHEN YOU’RE HUGE. Respect the cinema. Watch only the OFFICIAL trailer, don’t share leaks.”
Directed by H Vinoth and produced by KVN Productions, Jana Nayagan also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol and Mamitha Baiju, alongside Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani. Billed as Vijay’s final film before he takes the political plunge, the political thriller was slated to release in January but had to be postponed after the CBFC failed to certify it in time. The makers and Vijay have alleged conspiracy in the film’s delay, linking it to the actor’s political debut. So far, there is no clarity on the film’s release. (Hindustan Times)
