Review: Jana Nayagan — ★★★½☆
★★★½ · An enormous send-off carrying a film that is good rather than great, and weekday numbers that know the difference.
By Bolly Bourse Desk
The occasion is genuinely historic. Jana Nayagan is Vijay's sixty-ninth and final film before politics takes him permanently, released while he already holds office as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Its first six days took 123.15 crore net, the sixth-biggest opening week in Tamil cinema, ahead of Vikram and Bigil.
The run since tells a more measured story. From 42.70 crore on Friday the film fell to 10.65 crore by Monday, then 8, then 6.10, then 3.98 crore on day eight — a decline of nearly 35 percent on the day, steeper than a film with this much goodwill should be posting in its first fortnight. Openings of this size are bought by the occasion; the second week is where the film itself pays.
Three and a half stars is not a grudging rating. H. Vinoth has made a competent, sizeable political action drama and Vijay is well served by it. But the numbers are describing an event rather than a classic, and it would be dishonest to let the significance of the farewell round the film upward.
Bolly Bourse · bollybourse.com
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