New Delhi: A clash of titans is set to take place in 2026 as Thalapathy Vijay’s swansong film Jana Nayagan and Prabhas’ The Raja Saab release together on 9 January. The box-office battle will pit two very different phases of southern superstardom against each other—Vijay on the brink of a political turn, and Prabhas at the height of his pan-India commercial run.
Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi is also set to release on the same day, which marks Pongal and Sankranthi celebrations, making it a traditionally auspicious period for film releases.
Jana Nayagan is Vijay’s 69th and last film, which concludes an illustrious career spanning three decades before he forays into politics full-time. The actor who is the head of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is set to contest the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Both films have opted for diametrically opposite strategies of marketing. While Prabhas’ film has been set up for multiple pre-release events, Jana Nayagan only had an audio launch so far in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where 80,000 fans were in attendance at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on 27 December.
The film’s trailer is set to release on 31 December. Only one song has been released so far, called ‘Thalapathy Kacheri’, which translates to ‘Vijay’s concert’.
Pre-sales battle
Prabhas’s film dropped its second trailer on 28 December, which helped boost its pre-sales to $200k (approx Rs 1,79,69,807) in the USA. Jana Nayagan registered a gross collection of $125,515 (approx Rs 1,12,77,127) in advance from 232 shows with 6,093 tickets sold for the premiere day in the USA.
The Raja Saab also features Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Zarina Wahab, Nidhhi Agerwal, and Malavika Mohanan. Prabhas has a double-role in the Maruthi directorial. Jana Nayagan is directed by H. Vinoth, and the cast includes Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, Gauatham Menon, Mamitha Baiju, and Priyamani.
Also read: Vijay to Kailash Kher — December was the month of celebrity mobbing
Vijay’s previous release, The Greatest of All Time (2024), collected Rs 252 crore in India alone, while raking in Rs 160 crore from the overseas market, bringing its total earnings to Rs 457 crore. The 2023 release Leo grossed Rs 605 crore from its entire theatrical run, with the domestic earnings standing at Rs 341 crore and the overseas share coming in at Rs 204 crore
Prabhas has had a more commercially successful run with his last two films. Kalki 2898 D (2024), which also starred Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, made Rs 1042.25 crore, of which the domestic collection was Rs 767.25 crore. Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (2023) made Rs 617.75 crore with domestic collection of Rs 487.75 crore.