Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Jul 20: Tamil superstar Vijay's much-awaited political action drama Jana Nayagan has crossed the Rs 10-crore mark in India advance bookings for its opening day, setting the stage for a strong theatrical debut despite a limited release.
Directed by H Vinoth, the film is scheduled to hit theatres on July 23 after its release was delayed by nearly seven months due to certification-related issues.
According to trade tracker Track Tollywood, Jana Nayagan has grossed Rs 10.60 crore in advance bookings across India for its opening day, with more than 4.35 lakh tickets sold through 4,314 shows as of Sunday morning.
Trade analysts expect bookings to accelerate further over the next two days, as reservations are yet to open in several premium locations.
Tamil Nadu has emerged as the biggest market for the film, contributing Rs 4.87 crore—nearly half of the nationwide advance booking revenue.
Karnataka follows with Rs 3.04 crore, driven largely by an exceptional response in Bengaluru, while Kerala has contributed Rs 1.69 crore.
Among cities, Bengaluru leads the chart with Rs 3.01 crore in advance sales, accounting for almost 30 per cent of the national pre-sales.
Chennai has recorded Rs 1.18 crore in bookings with an occupancy rate exceeding 86 per cent, while Coimbatore has contributed Rs 67.16 lakh. Hyderabad, Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi have also registered encouraging advance sales.
The Tamil version dominates the bookings, generating Rs 10.17 crore, or about 96 per cent of the total advance collection.
The Telugu version has earned Rs 42.21 lakh in pre-sales, while the Hindi version has contributed only a small share. Nearly all advance bookings have been for standard 2D screenings.
The film's release was originally planned for the Pongal festival but was postponed following legal hurdles and delays in obtaining certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). After receiving an 'A' certificate, the KVN Productions-backed project is now poised for what trade analysts expect to be one of the biggest Tamil film openings of the year.
The film had also faced a setback in April after a high-definition copy was leaked online, raising concerns among the makers and Vijay's fans.
Jana Nayagan stars Vijay alongside Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priyamani, Narain and Nassar.
The film is widely expected to be Vijay's final acting project before he transitions to full-time politics, further heightening anticipation surrounding its release.