Janani K

Jana Nayagan reached theatres after months of censor changes that removed or muted several TVK references. The final cut keeps its political undertones while adding markers of Vijay's rise from actor to Chief Minister.

For generations of fans, a Vijay release was more than a film, it was a festival. As Jana Nayagan marked his final outing on the big screen, fans across Tamil Nadu and beyond relived the whistles, tears, traditions and memories that made saying goodbye so difficult.

Jana Nayagan wants audiences to rage against power, but at what cost? By turning a child's rape and murder into a catalyst for its hero's elevation, the Vijay-starrer raises uncomfortable questions about how Tamil cinema continues to frame sexual violence.

Fresh speculation around Dhanush's political entry has intensified after a viral speech and a new fan-club flag. The focus has also turned to how his films have long engaged with caste, land, policing, education and unemployment.

Jana Nayagan has posted a solid first-week total but is trailing Vijay's recent benchmarks. Delays, piracy, an A certificate and tighter overseas screens have weighed on its run.

A brief shot in the Ramayana trailer shows Sai Pallavi's Sita carrying a sword and shield. The moment has revived discussion around literary traditions that portray Sita as more than a passive figure.

With GDN set to release this week, R. Madhavan's filmography underlines his repeated turn towards real-life and real-life-inspired figures. From Guru and Rocketry to Dhurandhar and now G.D. Naidu, that pattern has become too clear to ignore.

G.D.N movie review: Director Krishnakumar Ramakumar's G.D.N., starring Madhavan, Vinay Rai and Dushara Vijayan, is a biopic on Coimbatore's GD Naidu, one of the best innovators India has ever seen. The biopic is a glossy collection of his achievements sans emotional connect.

Director Andrew Louis' Vadhandhi Season 2, starring Sasikumar, Yashwanth, Vivek Prasanna, Anagha, Aparna Das and Revathi Sharma, begins as an engrossing investigative thriller but loses momentum in the middle before redeeming itself with a satisfying climax.

Arun Matheswaran's DC follows gangster Devadas as a revenge mission pulls him into the lives of two wronged women. The film pairs stylised action with grief, exploitation and emotional fallout to give its violence weight.