‘Jana Nayagan’ movie review: ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay bids adieu to cinema with an overstuffed crowd-pleaser

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Vijay’s farewell film is in equal parts a crowd-pleasing tribute and a political manifesto, wrapped within an uneven but engaging masala entertainer

Updated - July 23, 2026 05:03 pm IST

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

Ideas are bulletproof. Cinema is an idea charged with the power of a thousand dreams. And, if the recent past few months are proof of anything, one film star can change the lives of millions and alter reality as we see it.

After months-long troubles in the release due to controversies surrounding the issuance of a censor certificate, a legal battle, and a piracy attack, Jana Nayaganhas finally arrived in theatres. The film bids adieu to one of Tamil cinema’s most beloved stars, actor-turned-politician ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay, as the star himself announced during his election campaign. The introductory card shows a popular move Vijay pulled off in the TN assembly weeks after becoming the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and the cheers it garnered say enough about what this political actioner wishes to be. Further, what truly sets the tone is a shot of Vijay lifting a fallen elder with a copy of the Constitution of India.

Filled with meta-political references, hat-tips to MGR, and fan service, filmmaker H Vinoth’s Jana Nayagan, a remake of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 2023 film Bhagavanth Kesari, celebrates the masala cinema that boosted Vijay as the hero of the masses. Stepping into the theatre, it becomes evident what Vijay might have seen in the template of Bhagavanth Kesari: a father-and-daughter arc that speaks of women empowerment, hidden identity and family sentiment. With suitable action pay-offs and a strong political core, this has been designed to be the story of a saviour of democracy.

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

Cleverer than this is Vijay’s decision to rope in director H Vinoth; a fan of commercial cinema with acute political takes, Vinoth sees the many strengths of the story and screenplay of Bhagavanth Kesari and re-engineers it into a good-natured movie clearly crafted to bolster Vijay’s image as a political leader. Hence, it pivots on themes of women empowerment and the fight against fear, both present in the source material. On one hand, we follow the story of Viji (Mamitha Baiju), a young woman who suffers from trauma-induced phobias that cripple her with fear; she can’t even handle the noise of a plate falling to the ground. After the untimely death of her father, Inspector Srikanth (Gautham Menon), a cop-turned-convict named Thalapathy Vetri Kondan (the name tells us enough), vows to realise her father’s dream to mould her into an Indian Army Officer.

Another arc begins simultaneously when we are introduced to Bobby Deol’s antagonist, the menacing John Himmler, a threat that finds itself at Thalapathy’s doorstep. This too is in the original material, as Arjun Rampal’s villain desired to become India’s top businessman by procuring a project involving major national seaports. Except, this is the space that director Vinoth adds his own layer — here, John threatens to destroy India’s democracy by instilling religious hatred. This layer explores the angle of standing up against political fear and bigotry, and while this arc makes Jana Nayagan uniquely its own, it also ends up becoming its biggest challenge.

Right from the first act, the screenplay impatiently brushes through several events at breakneck speed, thus losing much of the necessary emotional heft needed to anchor this story. In Bhagavanth Kesari, the first act where the child with a fear phobia gets adopted by the protagonist moves swiftly. In Jana Nayagan, this happens at an even brisker pace, everything transpiring in less than a few minutes. Thankfully, Anirudh Ravichander’s ‘Kanne Maniye’ provides emotional gravitas to the found father-daughter relationship, while ‘Thalapathy Katcheri’ becomes one of the most emotional crowd-pleasers.

Now, while a lion’s share of ideas from Bhagavanth Kesari seems to be retained, a few weak tropes recur in the remake. Instead of bettering the template, the director sticks to recreating most of it, while also writing a lengthy third act surrounding John Himmler, which balloons the film to a whopping 183 minutes.