Frenzied fans and passionate TVK workers thronged cinemas across the state on Thursday morning, brimming with excitement to catch the highly anticipated ‘first day, first show’ of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s starrer, Jana Nayagan.
The theatrical release marked a monumental and deeply emotional farewell, celebrated in a variety of colourful and unprecedented ways as the actor-turned-politician’s final cinematic outing finally graced the silver screen.
The celebrations also reflected a fanbase experiencing a profound duality of emotion. Energetic fans danced and sang outside theatres, expressing that they were both ecstatic and deeply anguished. They were overwhelmingly happy because the film was finally being screened after a prolonged delay, yet visibly heartbroken as Jana Nayagan serves as Vijay’s official swansong.
The scale of the festivities reached a feverish pitch. A dazzling display of fireworks, pulsating music, and sophisticated drone light shows illuminated the skies, while the cutting of massive, multi-tiered cakes marked the screening of the film in several prominent movie theatres. In Mayiladuthurai, devoted fans performed traditional milk abhishekams on towering cut-outs of the Chief Minister, an enduring cinematic ritual of the state.
In Chennai, iconic cinema halls including Rohini SilverScreens, Woodlands, and Casino were adorned with imposing Jana Nayagan hoardings. One particularly striking hoarding in the city boldly hailed Vijay as “the one and only power centre” of Tamil Nadu.
Early in the morning, many of his supporters visited popular temples to offer special prayers for the grand success of the movie. The enthusiasm birthed unique spectacles.
A specially designed, chariot-like vehicle was arranged in a town near Chennai to welcome the movie’s release with royal grandeur. Another fan captured widespread attention by meticulously painting his luxury car with larger-than-life images of Vijay. (PTI)
