Actor Vijay’s much-anticipated farewell film Jana Nayagan witnessed a sharp decline in box office earnings on its second day after a strong opening, though its worldwide collection crossed Rs 112 crore, according to trade estimates.
Directed by H Vinoth, the film earned Rs 21.15 crore net in India on Friday, taking its two-day domestic collection to Rs 63.85 crore, according to trade tracker Sacnilk.
The film opened with Rs 42.70 crore net on Thursday, meaning its Day 2 earnings dropped by around 50.5 percent compared with its opening day.
Its India gross collection has reached around Rs 75 crore, while worldwide earnings stand at approximately Rs 112.50 crore.
On Friday, Jana Nayagan recorded an overall theatre occupancy of 44.33 percent. The film saw 32.77 percent occupancy during morning shows, 37.23 percent in afternoon screenings, 47 percent in evening shows and 60.31 percent during night shows.
The Tamil version remained the biggest contributor to the second-day earnings, collecting Rs 17.95 crore. The Hindi version earned Rs 1.85 crore, while the Telugu version added Rs 1.35 crore.
Despite mixed audience reactions, director H Vinoth said Vijay’s films often receive varied responses immediately after release before gaining wider acceptance over time.
“Whenever a Vijay sir movie comes out, for about a week people say this is good, that isn't good, this doesn't work, that doesn't, and all that. Then after a week, they say it's not that great after all. Six months later, it starts becoming a big hit in society,” Vinoth said.
He described Jana Nayagan as a significant project for Tamil cinema and a dream opportunity in his filmmaking career.
Promoted as Vijay’s final film before he enters full-time politics, Jana Nayagan received a grand reception from fans across Tamil Nadu. Large crowds gathered at theatres, including Chennai venues, where special celebrations, cultural programmes and laser shows were organised.
Fans were seen dancing outside cinemas, while first-day-first-show screenings drew enthusiastic responses. Actor Ravi Mohan also joined celebrations marking Vijay’s final theatrical release.
However, despite the festive atmosphere and strong fan support, the film recorded a major drop in earnings on its second day.
The film follows Vetri, played by Vijay, a prisoner who develops a close bond with prison warden Srikanth and takes responsibility for the warden’s daughter Viji. As he helps her overcome fears and pursue her dream of joining the Indian Army, his past returns through John Himmler, played by Bobby Deol, leading to a major confrontation.
The film also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Priyamani, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Prakash Raj in key roles. Its music has been composed by Anirudh Ravichander.
Released in theatres on 23 July, Jana Nayagan marks the end of Vijay’s more than three-decade acting career, during which he appeared in over 60 films.
