Vijay is back on the big screen, and the celebrations have already begun. After facing several delays and hurdles, the actor's final film, Jana Nayagana, finally arrived in theatres today (July 23). Along with the excitement, the film had also been surrounded by rumours that it was a remake of Bhagavanth Kesari. Addressing the speculation, director H Vinoth confirmed that Jana Nayagana is based on Anil Ravipudi's Telugu blockbuster starring Nandamuri Balakrishna. However, he clarified that only about half of the original story has been retained in his version.

H Vinoth explains how much of Bhagavanth Kesari remains

Speaking to Screen, H Vinoth said the script was reworked to suit Vijay's screen image. He explained that several changes were made to make the story fit the actor while keeping the core idea intact.

In another interview with Galatta Plus, the filmmaker revealed that Jana Nayagana is only partly inspired by Bhagavanth Kesari. According to him, the first half shares around 60 per cent similarities with the Telugu film, while the second half is largely different, with only about 20 per cent resemblance.

Vijay convinced Vinoth to make the film

Vinoth also shared that he was initially hesitant to direct another remake after adapting Pink into the Tamil film Nerkonda Paarvai starring Ajith Kumar. However, Vijay encouraged him to look at Bhagavanth Kesari as an inspiration instead of a direct remake.

The director said, "One thing I admire about Vijay, sir, is that he's deeply committed to women's empowerment. I saw the same conviction in Ajith sir when we worked on the Pink remake. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to work on Vijay sir's last film." Since this was going to be Vijay's final film before entering politics full-time, he did not want to miss the opportunity to work with the actor.

How the remake rumours began

Speculation surrounding Jana Nayagana first gained momentum in January 2025. During an event, actor VTV Ganesh claimed that Vijay had watched Bhagavanth Kesari multiple times and had wanted its director, Anil Ravipudi, to helm the Tamil version. Ganesh also alleged that the Telugu filmmaker had declined the offer.

Although the rumours continued for months, Vinoth has now confirmed that the film is only partially adapted and not a scene-by-scene remake.

Jana Nayagan: Cast, runtime and more

Jana Nayagana features a star-studded cast led by Vijay, who plays IPS officer Thalapathy Vetri Kondan, also known as Vetri. The role is expected to carry some similarities to Nandamuri Balakrishna's character from Bhagavanth Kesari.

Pooja Hegde plays Kayal, reuniting with Vijay after Beast. Bobby Deol appears as the film's main antagonist, with his character reportedly known by multiple names, including John Himler, Amrish Poojari and Phoenix.

Malayalam actor Mamitha Baiju plays Vijayalakshmi "Viji" Srikanth, while Gautham Vasudev Menon portrays her father, Srikanth, who works as a jailer.

The supporting cast includes Prakash Raj, Priyamani, Narain, Nassar, Revathi, Sunil, Reba Monica John and Nizhalgal Ravi. There have also been reports of cameo appearances by composer Anirudh Ravichander and filmmakers Atlee, Lokesh Kanagaraj and Nelson, although these have not been officially confirmed.

Runtime, budget and ticket prices

The film has a certified runtime of 3 hours, 3 minutes and 11 seconds (183 minutes). Reports suggest that it has been mounted on a massive budget of Rs 300 crore to Rs 500 crore, making it one of the biggest productions in Vijay's career.

Ticket prices vary widely across cities. In Chennai, tickets start at Rs 54, while premium recliner seats in Delhi are priced at around Rs 600. Moreover, Bengaluru has recorded some of the highest prices, with premium multiplex seats touching Rs 2,600 and several single-screen theatres charging between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.

Along with its Tamil release, Jana Nayagana has also hit theatres in Telugu as Jana Nayakudu and in Hindi as Jan Neta. The film marks Vijay's final outing as an actor before he shifts his complete focus to politics following the launch of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).