Vijay’s Jana Nayagan has continued its impressive run at the Indian box office by performing better than expected on its first Monday. Trade experts had predicted that the film would see a sharp fall in collections because of its mixed to negative reviews. However, the movie managed to hold steady and earned an estimated Rs. 12 crore to Rs. 12.50 crore on Monday. With this, the film’s total collection after 5 days has reached approximately Rs. 158 crore across India.
The film has performed especially well in Tamil Nadu, where it collected around Rs. 8 crore on Monday. This is considered a strong figure for a weekday. For comparison, Coolie had collected around Rs. 6 crore on its first Monday last year. With a total of around Rs. 93 crore in Tamil Nadu after 5 days, Jana Nayagan is expected to cross the Rs. 100 crore mark in the state very soon. Since the release of Mersal, every Vijay film has crossed Rs. 100 crore in Tamil Nadu, and despite concerns before release, Jana Nayagan appears set to continue that record. Based on current trends, the film could finish its run in the state with collections between Rs. 130 crore and Rs. 150 crore, depending on how well it performs in the coming weeks.
Although the film may not match the biggest box office records set by some of Vijay’s previous releases, its performance is considered notable because of the circumstances surrounding its release. Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled to release in January, but its release was delayed because of certification issues. During that delay, the film was leaked online and was widely watched before its theatrical release. Despite the leak and mixed audience response after release, the film has still managed to attract large crowds to cinemas.
The film has already crossed Rs. 200 crore at the worldwide box office after its opening weekend, showing Vijay’s strong popularity both in India and overseas. However, reports suggest that the film was made on a high budget, with a significant share going towards the lead actor’s remuneration. Because of its production cost, recovering the full investment could remain challenging unless the film continues to perform strongly over the coming weeks.
The territorial collections in India currently stand at Rs. 93.00 crore from Tamil Nadu, Rs. 11.75 crore from APTS, Rs. 23.75 crore from Karnataka, Rs. 13.50 crore from Kerala, and Rs. 16.00 crore from the Rest of India. These figures take the film’s total Indian box office collection to approximately Rs. 158.00 crore after 5 days, making Jana Nayagan one of the biggest Tamil releases of the year despite facing several challenges before and after its release.