‘Jana Nayagan is only 50% Bhagavanth Kesari’: H Vinoth reveals how much was changed for Vijay

Director H Vinoth has confirmed what fans have long speculated the upcoming Vijay-starrer ‘Jana Nayagan’ is indeed a remake of the Telugu hit ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’.

However, he says only about 50% of the original film remains, with the rest extensively rewritten to suit Vijay's screen image and Tamil audiences.

In an interview with Cinema Viketan, Vinoth explained that the remake was never meant to be a scene-by-scene adaptation.

"Jana Nayagan is 50% of Bhagavanth Kesari. To be precise, the first half retains around 60% of the original, while only about 20% of the second half does," he revealed.

Why H Vinoth was initially hesitant

Vinoth shared that Vijay's manager, Jagadish, first suggested remaking ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’. Having previously adapted ‘Pink’ into ‘Nerkonda Paarvai’, the director admitted he wasn't keen on taking up another remake. He eventually agreed because it was likely his final opportunity to collaborate with Vijay before the actor's full-time political career.

After watching the original film, Vinoth said he was "genuinely scared" about adapting it because Vijay and Nandamuri Balakrishna have vastly different on-screen personas.

According to the director, Balakrishna's films operate in a larger-than-life world where audiences readily embrace exaggerated heroism, while Vijay's characters follow a more grounded commercial template. That meant significant changes were needed to make the story fit Vijay's image.

Vijay backed the remake

Vinoth also revealed that Vijay strongly supported adapting ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’. When the director questioned whether a remake was necessary, the actor reportedly explained, scene by scene, why he believed the story would resonate with Tamil audiences.

The director added that, much like Ajith Kumar during N’erkonda Paarvai’, Vijay was particularly drawn to the film's women empowerment theme.