YouTube Clarifies Bot Allegations as Vijay’s Thalapathy Kacheri Crosses 44 Million Views

The lyric video of Thalapathy Kacheri, the first single from Vijay’s highly anticipated film Jana Nayagan, has become a viral sensation — amassing over 44 million views since its release on November 8. However, its meteoric rise has sparked a heated debate on social media, with users questioning whether the view count was inflated by bots.

The controversy began when an X (formerly Twitter) user claimed the video gained 3 million views within the first hour, prompting suspicions of automated traffic. As speculation grew, YouTube addressed the issue through its official support handle, explaining its verification process for authentic engagement.

“We have a system in place to verify engagement metrics (likes, views, subs) if they’re from a legitimate traffic source,” YouTube Support stated. “View counts can slow down or freeze as we verify they’re real — from humans, not computer programs.”

Some fans suggested that the video was temporarily flagged under Google’s political advertising policy, given Vijay’s political entry, which might have delayed view updates. YouTube clarified that freezing or fluctuations in view counts are part of its regular system checks to ensure fair and genuine engagement.

Composed by Anirudh Ravichander with lyrics by Arivu, Thalapathy Kacheri features vocals by Anirudh, Arivu, and Vijay himself. The song has been praised for its energetic rhythm and mass appeal, further fueling anticipation for Jana Nayagan — directed by H. Vinoth and featuring a star-studded cast including Pooja Hegde, Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Priyamani, and Narain.

The film marks Vijay’s final acting role before his full-fledged entry into politics and is set for a Pongal 2025 release.