'Jana Nayagan' leak: TVK alleges 'joint conspiracy' by L Murugan, Udhayanidhi Stalin

Chennai: A high-definition (HD) print of actor Vijay’s cinematic swansong, Jana Nayagan, was leaked online even as the film is stuck with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). While Vijay didn’t react to the development, his close aide and Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) general secretary Aadhav Arjuna called the “leak” as a “joint conspiracy” of Union Minister of State L Murugan and Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

The Tamil and Telugu film industries stood behind Vijay on the issue with the likes of superstar K Chiranjeevi, and popular actors Khushbu Sundar and Sivakarthikeyan tweeting in favour of him, and against the “leak” of an unreleased movie.

Scenes from the movie, which was to be released in January but delayed due to censor issues, were shared on several social media platforms including X, triggering a war of words between fans of Vijay and supporters of the ruling DMK.

Bengaluru-based KVN Productions, which bank-rolled the high-budget movie, acknowledged that certain scenes from the film Jana Nayagan have been illegally accessed, downloaded, copied and circulated by certain persons and forwarded to several third parties, creating a serious threat of digital leakage through various social media platforms.

“My client has already initiated appropriate legal action against the person who unlawfully downloaded and forwarded scenes from the film Jana Nayagan and further proceedings are actively being pursued against all persons involved in such illegal circulation,” the production house said and asked people not to share or circulate the leaked content.

Arjuna laid the blame on Murugan, who is MoS for Information and Broadcasting, for Jana Nayagan being stuck with the Censor Board. “Minister Murugan is the one who didn’t release the movie. Now, he has joined hands with Udhayanidhi Stalin to leak portions from the movie,” he alleged. The BJP hit back, saying it was “unjustifiable” that the Union Government was being blamed for the “leak.”

Chiranjeevi said the unfortunate leak of Jana Nayagan has deeply concerned him. “Cinema is built on trust, effort, and the collective dreams of many. Such incidents affect all of us in the industry and remind us how crucial it is to protect our creative work. We stand one with KVN Productions in containing the damage and punishing the culprits,” he said.

Actor Sivakarthikeyan demanded strict action against the culprits, saying every film is made with the passion, blood and sweat of hundreds of people. “Please avoid piracy. Kindly wait for the theatrical release and watch it in theatres. Respect the talents. Respect the hard work. Respect the industry,” he said.

Popular actress and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar said piracy is not entertainment, but an organised theft and those who indulge in it, are not let less than any criminals and should be treated as one as in any other crime.

“The leak of Jana Nayagan is a brutal betrayal of every artist, technician, and worker who have poured their blood, sweat, and years into creating something meaningful. One illegal click destroys livelihoods, crush dreams, and cripples an entire industry,” she said.