‘Jana Nayagan’ director H Vinoth interview: On Thalapathy Vijay’s support during controversies

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Filmmaker H Vinoth speaks about his upcoming film ‘Jana Nayagan,’ starring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, the unwavering support he received from the former star during the turbulent months prior to its release, what success means for a politically-charged film that unfortunately leaked online, and more

Updated - July 22, 2026 04:38 pm IST

Filmmaker H Vinoth speaks about his upcoming film, Jana Nayagan, starring actor-turned-politician and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, in a conversation with The Hindu on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Thamodharan B

For a moment, step into the shoes of filmmaker H Vinoth. You get the opportunity to direct ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay, in a politically-laden film that will mark his transformation from actor to politician. You make the film with the backing of KVN Productions, and just as you eagerly await its release during Pongal, it snowballs into a controversy. The delay in the censor certification indefinitely pushes the film’s release, and the subsequent legal battle makes one wonder if it will ever release at all. And, as if this isn’t enought to test your resolve, the film leaks online even before it arrives in theatres. On one hand, Vijay takes oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and on the other, your labour of love is being illegally watched by millions.

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That Jana Nayagan finally hits screens on July 23 should have been joyous for Vinoth; except, it is not. “I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am happy that we have received the censor certificate, but also sad that we got an A-certificate. I am happy that the film is releasing, but I am also waiting to see if audiences will come to theatres to watch a film that was leaked. The bookings are strong, so I am hoping that people will support the film,” says Vinoth in a chat ahead of the film’s release. If there was a silver lining to the controversy surrounding Jana Nayagan, it was the show of support the film got from across the Indian film industry. “Many industry colleagues reached out to me. I also understand that a few others might have hesitated, fearing political pressure. But I thank all of them, including those who kept me in their thoughts,” says Vinoth.

Vijay in a still from ‘Jana Nayagan’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

However, when asked what emboldened him to brace through the storm, the filmmaker is quick to credit Vijay and the film’s producer Venkat K Narayana. If it were any other producer, Vinoth says, they would have taken it to the media and the Producers Council. “And if it were any other actor, they might have distanced themselves from the issue. But both my star and my producer stood united to face any problem that might arise. And that gave us a lot of hope. Secondly, I wanted that core message in the film to reach the people.”

Whether the ‘message’ reaches the audiences is what Vinoth now cares about — that’s all the filmmaker can look forward to as success for a film that has leaked online, he believes. “I care about whether the film impacts the lives of its audiences and brings about some change to their reality. If audiences from different religious, caste, linguistic and regional backgrounds come out of the film and vow to stay united, then that would be the victory of Jana Nayagan,” says Vinoth.

Jana Nayagan is the remake of the hit 2023 Telugu actioner Bhagavanth Kesari. Interestingly, it was Vijay who prompted Vinoth to watch the Nandamuri Balakrishna-starrer to see if it could be remade. While the original dealt with a larger-than-life character’s relationship with his daughter, the remake extends upon the original to explore psychological and political fear. “We had to add something special to the material because, today if audiences know it’s a remake, they will immediately watch the original. So we had to expand that core conflict.” And because the hero is a politician in real life, Vinoth had to make the father-and-daughter story into that of a leader. “Now, that leader needs to address an issue, and so we looked at what’s plaguing India in contemporary times. That’s what I wanted to do, and I even told Vijay sir that I would do this film only if I managed to crack that core conflict.”