Chennai, 11 April

Superstars Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and actor Suriya have come out in strong condemnation of the online leak of the highly anticipated political thriller 'Jana Nayagan' starring top Tamil star Vijay. The three insist on accountability and stricter anti-piracy measures.

The film, directed by H Vinoth, was widely touted as Vijay's final cinematic outing before entering full-time politics. It was leaked online on Friday. The incident has triggered a wave of outrage among the film fraternity.

Rajinikanth took to social media on Friday night to express his anguish over the breach. In a post written in Tamil, the actor described the leak as a source of shock and pain.

"The release of the Jananayagan film on the internet by someone is a cause for shock and pain," he wrote.

He further urged that film organisations must raise their voice against this and the government must identify those responsible and impose severe punishment. "Such crimes must not be allowed to continue in the future," the veteran actor added.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan provided a more scathing critique, attributing the leak to inordinate delays in the certification process.

The film has reportedly been embroiled in a legal battle with the Central Board of Film Certification for months.

"The leak of Jana Nayagan is not an accident – it is the result of systemic failure," Haasan stated.

He argued that had due process been timely, we would not be here. Haasan further noted that inordinate delays in certification created fertile ground for piracy and that when legal access is stalled, illegitimate channels take over.

The actor emphasised that piracy is beyond politics and is an attack on the art and artist itself.

"It endangers the work of hundreds of artists and technicians, and the investments of honest tax paying producers, exhibitors and theatre owners, all who sustain the cinema we love," he said.

He also asked who protects the creator when the system fails and called for accountability, swift certification, strict enforcement, and real-time takedowns.

Joining the voices of condemnation, actor Suriya described the incident as "heartbreaking and unfair".

"An entire team’s passion reduced to this," he posted.

Suriya made an emotional appeal to the public to refrain from engaging with the pirated content. "I request you all with honesty, please don’t watch, share, or discuss the film here. Respect their work," he stated.

He further expressed his solidarity with the film's crew, adding, "I stand with my friends and condemn the act, it’s unforgivable."

The leak comes at a critical time for the film, which was produced by KVN Productions on a massive budget. Following the leak, several other industry stalwarts, including Chiranjeevi have also voiced their support, urging fans to wait and watch the film legally in theatres.

Production sources indicate that civil and criminal proceedings are being initiated against those responsible for the unauthorised circulation.