Jana Nayagan. Thalapathy Vijay. Tamil Nadu CM Vijay. The people’s leader. Being political leader Vijay’s last film in his cinema career, Jana Nayagan wastes little time in establishing one thing – this is a Vijay film designed to play directly to his fans, while also tapping into the political persona that has come to define the star today. Right from the get-go, Jana Nayagan is a celebration of Vijay the star and establishes him as the political personality he has evolved into today.
We meet Vetri (Vijay) in jail where he is a prisoner in Madurai serving a sentence for a crime we don’t know yet. Interestingly, it is his mother who sent him to prison. But we see he is no ordinary prisoner and that’s very evident from his swag, his dialogues and the power he wields over the inmates.
In fact, a prison officer (Nizhalgal Ravi) tells us that there has been an attempt to murder him 20 times but he has escaped every attempt. And then comes the line that sums up the aura surrounding Vijay’s character: “Thalapathy is not under our protection. We are under his.”
Meanwhile, Vetri’s dying mother (Revathi) wants to see her son one last time and prison warden Srikanth (Gautham Vasudev Menon) arranges a visit for Vetri to meet her. Srikanth gets suspended as a result but he helps Vetri to be released during the yearly August 15th pardon. Now, Vetri develops a strong bond with Srikanth’s daughter Viji (Mamitha Baiju) and the prison warden’s sudden death in an accident sees Vetri become the guardian for Viji.
This sentimental bond between them shows us insight into another facet of Vetri – the genuine human behind the star. There are various incidents involving Viji where we find Vetri coming to her rescue and it’s at this time that Kayal (Pooja Hegde), a journalist in a TV channel, comes into their lives. Vetri’s dream is to make Viji a military officer because that was Srikanth’s dream. Does this dream materialise?
On a separate track, we are introduced to a fictional country in Africa called Swasnia which is being plundered and destroyed by John Himmler (Bobby Deol). Himmler is a feared criminal who controls governments and political leaders including those in India and Tamil Nadu.
He aims to control and instil fear in people and Himmler’s persona is carved out as such. For instance, he hijacks a ship to India in order to smuggle in arms and create chaos in society. What is his ultimate plan?
As the intermission approaches and we see a completely unexpected twist, we find that Vetri is now fighting a battle not just to save Viji but his entire Tamil makkal (people) as well.
The second half of the film delves into the background and connection between Vetri and John Himmler and how they end up on opposite ends of the spectrum of goodness, truth and justice.
What follows is a series of confrontations that position Vetri not just as a rebel, but as a leader who is ready to challenge systemic corruption, evil in society, injustice to women and push for women’s empowerment.
Thus, the screenplay highlights these themes expanding its scope, introducing political players and conflicts that aim to mirror real-world dynamics. We find references to former Tamil star and Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, the major political parties and leaders in Tamil Nadu, a nod to Balayya (this movie is a remake of Bhagavath Kesari), and Vijay’s own political campaigns from real life. Ultimately, as the title suggests, the film is about how Thalapathy comes to save his people from evil forces.
Director H Vinoth’s Jana Nayagan does begin to struggle under the weight of its own messaging. The balance between storytelling and political commentary tilts heavily towards the latter, leaving certain plot threads underdeveloped. There are umpteen supporting characters, including those introduced with promise in the first half, but they are pushed to the sidelines as the film focuses almost entirely on Vetri’s journey.
Being Vijay’s last film evidently there are plenty of mass moments which celebrate him as a star. There are numerous dances that have been included – especially for fans – and we see Vijay ace those well-choreographed moves deftly. (The whistles and cheers in the theatre when Vijay dances on screen is amazing to experience.)
And yes, Thalapathy delivers punch line after punch line (some from his real life speeches) much to the delight of fans. Sample this – ‘what bro? It’s very wrong bro’ which sent the fans into a tizzy. Of course, how can a Thalapathy film not have action? In numerous action scenes, there’s an ode to some of Vijay’s earlier films by way of gesture or dialogue.
Jana Nayagan is a Thalapathy Vijay show all the way. He dominates every frame he appears in and his screen presence remains the film’s biggest strength, especially in sequences designed to evoke applause.
Vijay brings his charisma, effortless swag and stylish dialogue delivery to seal his commanding presence on screen. Whether it is a punch dialogue, an action sequence or simply a silent stare, Vijay knows exactly how to play to the gallery – and that’s why he is the star that he is.
Bobby Deol makes for an imposing antagonist and brings a certain menace to the role with his physical presence and understated performance. He has held his own in the stand offs with Vijay. Mamitha Baiju has a stronger role than Pooja Hegde in the film and she is a delight as Viji acing the role.
As stated earlier there are so many characters in the film that some get lost. Prakash Raj, Nasser, Priyamani, Narain, Sunil, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Revathi, Nizhalgal Ravi and YouTuber Madan Gowri are part of the ensemble cast. There are also some wonderful unexpected cameos which are a good surprise for the audience.
Anirudh Ravichander’s songs are already hits and the background score definitely elevates key scenes, particularly during the film’s climactic stretches. Technically the film is sound with cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and editing by Pradeep E Raghav. The editing could have been tighter given the film’s duration of just over three hours.
Jana Nayagan is a must-watch for Thalapathy Vijay. Yes, it is one last time on screen for him but the surprise in the title card shows us his new journey and how he has really come a ‘Jana Nayagan’ (people’s leader). Despite the flaws, Jana Nayagan is blastu blastu!
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