Gopichand Malineni reveals Vijay was pressured to choose a Tamil director for his final film, 'Jana Nayagan'

Thalapathy Vijay’s 69th and final film 'Jana Nayagan' is progressing at a brisk pace under the direction of H. Vinoth. The film, which also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and Mamitha Baiju, features music by Anirudh Ravichander. The final leg of shooting is underway, with recent scenes shot in scenic Kodaikanal. The production is nearing completion, and fans are eagerly waiting to see Vijay in his last cinematic appearance before he transitions fully into politics.
Gopichand Malineni says Vijay initially agreed to do his film
Popular Telugu filmmaker Gopichand Malineni has now revealed that he was originally set to direct Vijay’s final film. According to him, after the success of 'Veera Simha Reddy', he had narrated a script to Vijay, who liked it and agreed to collaborate. The project was close to being officially announced when Vijay made the landmark announcement about launching his political party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam. That moment, however, changed the trajectory of their collaboration.
Vijay faced internal pressure to work with a Tamil director before political debut
In an interview with Telugu One, Gopichand Malineni explained that after Vijay's political entry was confirmed, those around the actor began urging him to team up with a Tamil director for his final film. The sentiment was that, before stepping into politics, Vijay’s last outing on the big screen should have a strong local connection. This shift in approach led to the selection of H. Vinoth as the director, sidelining the earlier plan with the Telugu filmmaker.
Past collaboration with a Telugu director triggered industry caution
Adding context to the situation, Gopichand Malineni pointed out that Vijay had already worked with Telugu director Vamshi Paidipally in 'Varisu', which may have sparked concerns about repeating the same pattern. The industry circles felt that opting for a Tamil filmmaker would resonate better with the audience and align with Vijay's political aspirations. Despite the change, Gopichand Malineni expressed no bitterness, calling it a strategic move for Vijay’s future.

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