Thalapathy Vijay’s political action drama *Jana Nayagan* released in theatres on Thursday, July 23, 2026, and has received an overwhelming response. The film pays tribute to legendary actor and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) by using an AI-generated recreation of MGR’s voice in a key sequence. In the scene, MGR addresses Vijay’s character, Vetri Kondan, as ‘Thanga Thalapathy’ (Dear Thalapathy) before handing him a whip as he prepares to confront antagonists. The film also includes other references to MGR, such as visuals in Vijay’s introductory sequence and Vijay singing lines from the song *Naan Aanayittal* from MGR’s 1965 classic *Enga Veetu Pillai*. *Jana Nayagan* follows an ordinary man who transforms into a leader fighting corruption and oppression after standing up against injustice. News18 Showsha gave the movie a 3-star rating, noting that while the film has moments of grandeur, the visual scale cannot compensate for weak writing.