Vijay's Jana Nayagan screening stopped across Karnataka amid Cauvery water dispute

The screening of actor and Tamil Nadu Chief Minsiter Vijay's Jana Nayagan has been halted across Karnataka amid escalating tensions over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute. As protests intensified following the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) direction to release water to Tamil Nadu, theatres cancelled shows as a precautionary measure, while pro-Kannada groups caused ruckus in some theatres in Mandya.In Bengaluru, Sampige Theatre cancelled all scheduled shows for the day as a precautionary measure. Theatre staff removed Vijay's posters, while some were covered with other posters to prevent any untoward incidents. Security was tightened across sensitive areas, with the Srirampura Police increasing patrolling and deploying additional personnel in localities with a sizeable Tamil-speaking population to maintain law and order.In Karnataka's Mandya, pro-Kannada activists took down promotional banners of Jana Nayagan as demonstrations over the Cauvery issue gathered steam.The protests were triggered after the CWMA upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) recommendation directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days. Farmer groups and Kannada organisations opposed the order, arguing that Karnataka is itself facing a water shortage and that releasing water would adversely affect the state's farmers. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the Karnataka government would appeal against the CWMA's directive. In response, Tamil Nadu's Law minister CTR Nirmal Kumar, on Friday, said that the government will move the Supreme Court to secure its share of Cauvery water.Meanwhile, the Karnataka Film Chamber has called a meeting to discuss the impact of the cancellations on the film industry. The H Vinoth directorial earned over Rs 260 crore globally with Tamil Nadu and Bengaluru being significant contributors. With the film's screening being halted in Karnataka, it is likely to cause the box office collection of Jana Nayagan to dip further.Jana Nayagan marks Vijay's final film as an actor as he shifts his focus towards his full-time political career. Directed by H Vinoth, the political action drama also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Narain. The film opened to strong box office numbers but received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and audiences.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Jul 31, 2026 14:45 IST