Published Jul 23, 2026 | 7:23 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 23, 2026 | 7:23 PM
Vijay in 'Jananayagan'.
Synopsis: The release of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s Jana Nayagan drew lakhs of fans to theatres, but for many, the biggest surprise was the ticket price. While some watched the film at official rates, others paid anywhere between ₹600 and ₹2,000 through unofficial channels.
On the opening day of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s final film, Jana Nayagan, the state may have had one government, but outside many theatres, the first-day-first-show ticket market appeared to be governed by another.
After months of anticipation, Jana Nayagan released worldwide on 23 July. Ministers of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), party workers and lakhs of Vijay fans turned the release into a celebration.
But while the film celebrated democracy on screen, the opening day seemed to celebrate something else outside the theatres: black-market ticket sales.
When South First spoke to fans after the morning show, a Vijay fan and TVK member from Chennai said he had paid ₹1,500 for a single ticket.
Asked whether tickets had been distributed by fan clubs at the original price or free of cost, he said the ₹1,500 ticket itself had come through the fan club network.
In Coimbatore, another Vijay fan said he paid ₹600 for a ticket that originally cost ₹200.
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Some fans travelled all the way to Andhra Pradesh just to catch the earliest special screenings. A moviegoer who watched the film in Nagari said he paid ₹680 for a ticket, adding that tickets usually priced between ₹120 and ₹200 were being sold at nearly three times their original cost.
“Today, first-show tickets are selling anywhere between ₹600 and ₹2,000,” said Mohamed, who watched the morning show.
Not everyone, however, paid inflated prices. Delhi Ganesh, a resident of Chennai’s Virugambakkam, said he booked four tickets online for ₹210 each and watched the film with his family after securing tickets through the official booking platform.
By the time many fans logged on to book their tickets, a sizeable number had already changed hands, only to reappear through informal networks with a much steeper price tag.
For a government that frequently promises to protect ordinary people from exploitation, the opening day of its leader’s final film offered a curious spectacle. Even with a sitting Chief Minister’s film on the marquee, black-market ticket sellers appeared to operate with remarkable confidence.
If Jana Nayagan was meant to celebrate democracy, its first day served as a reminder that outside the theatre gates, demand and supply often write their own constitution. On release day, the loudest applause may have been inside the cinema hall, but the biggest victory seemed to belong to the black market.
