Mumbai: Actor Sonu Sood has voiced strong support for Vijay after his upcoming film Jana Nayagan was leaked online, calling piracy a “complete disregard” for the efforts of artists and technicians.

“It’s heartbreaking to see a film like Jananayagan get leaked online. The sleepless nights, years of effort and passion that go into making a film… only those involved truly understand. It’s like their baby.

Piracy is not just illegal, it’s a complete disregard for every artist and technician behind it. This needs strict action.

Standing in support of actor Vijay. Let’s respect cinema,” actor Sonu Sood wrote in X. 

Earlier, actor Pooja Hegde also appealed to audiences to refrain from consuming pirated content and wait to watch the film in theatres, describing the leak as deeply disheartening for the entire team.

Sharing a note addressed to her “lovely audience”, she emphasised the collective effort behind filmmaking.

"Seeing our film leaked online is disheartening, not just for me, but for every single person who worked on it.

"To see it being leaked and shared illegally is tough-not because of numbers, but because it takes away the respect that every artist and technician on the film deserves.. plus don't we all deserve to gather together to celebrate and watch Vijay sir's last film, one last time, on the big screen in the right way," the actor, who stars alongside Vijay in the movie, wrote.

"So let's watch it the right way. Let's wait. It will be out in due time," she added.

Hegde signed off with a message: "Let's not encourage piracy. That's how cinema and art will survive."

Directed by H. Vinoth and produced by KVN Productions, Jana Nayagan is a political thriller widely seen as Vijay’s final film before he transitions into full-time politics.

The reported leak on Friday has triggered widespread outrage across the film industry, with stars like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Suriya also condemning the incident. Haasan reportedly attributed the issue to systemic lapses, including delays in the certification process.

The film has been entangled in a prolonged legal battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over certification, further complicating its release timeline.

Production sources indicate that civil and criminal proceedings are now being initiated against those responsible for the unauthorised circulation, even as the industry rallies together against piracy.