Chennai, 23 July  

Frenzied fans and passionate TVK workers thronged cinemas across Tamil Nadu 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 fan base 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. Thousands of fans could be spotted sporting custom 'Thangamey Thalapathy' T-shirts.

Furthermore, border towns joined the fray, with fans organising an elaborate DJ party and cake-cutting ceremony at a theatre on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border in Kanyakumari. The global appeal of the star was on full display as couple of Japanese fans were seen celebrating at Rohini Cinemas in Chennai.

However, alongside the jubilant celebrations, controversies briefly surfaced. Allegations of inflated ticket costs marred the morning for some, and a video clip showing heated arguments over the sudden rise in ticket rates was widely circulated on social media platforms.

Despite these logistical hurdles, the film has completely dominated the State's exhibition sector, currently being screened in 1,000 screens out of 1,168 in Tamil Nadu. The emotional gravity of the day was acutely felt by state leaders and dignitaries who have long been ardent supporters.

In Coimbatore, Minister V Sampath Kumar joined throngs offans to watch the movie, sharing his personal reflections on the historic day. "This is a very emotional moment for us," Minister Kumar stated. "My primary identity has always been that of a fan. For 30 years, I was a fan first. The position of Minister is a responsibility given to me by the Chief Minister, but seeing his final film brings a heavy heart. We are bearing this pain because we realise that the state and our people need him as the Chief Minister," he added.

In Chennai, Minister Arun Raj, who was spotted celebrating with FDFS crowd, echoed similar sentiments, highlighting Vijay’s renowned work ethic and the seamless transition of his dedication from the film sets to the political arena.

"He worked in cinema with absolute dedication, sincerity, and discipline for over 30 years. It is easy to label someone an actor, but behind his number one position was immense hard work and punctuality. Because he knew he could not do two jobs at the same time, he left cinema completely and entered politics. He is showing the exact same dedication in politics now," the Minister said.

The star-studded screenings in Chennai also saw the arrival of prominent figures such as music composer Anirudh Ravichander, Speaker JCD Prabhakar, actress Keerthy Suresh, Senior Minister N Anand, and producer Venkat Narayana.

For the fans, the transition of their idol from "Thalapathy" to Chief Minister necessitated a newfound civic maturity.

In Madurai, fans noted a deliberate shift in their conduct. A fan named Kaniraj explained, "Usually, if the police told us to stop our celebrations, we would argue fiercely. But today, we listened to them. He sits as a Chief Minister now, and we must not bring any disrepute to his name. Under the instructions of our MLA Musthafa, we ensured our festival did not cause any public disturbance."

The sentiment was shared by families who flocked to theatres.

In Namakkal, a fan named Jyothi Lakshmi brought her young daughter, noting it was crucial not to miss the event. "She skipped school for this because it is her first and his last film in theatres," she shared.

Another fan in Namakkal vowed to redirect their cinematic devotion toward supporting his political journey, declaring, "He was Thalapathy on screen, but now he has reached a new place. We will be his shoulders and stand solidly behind his political success."

Chief Minister Vijay, alongside select government officials, watched a special private screening of the movie in Chennai on Wednesday evening, marking the quiet, personal end to a legendary cinematic journey.