Vijay’s Thirupaachi and son Jason Sanjay’s Sigma could end up in an unexpected box office face-off, setting up a fascinating father-son clash.
IMAGE: Jason Sanjay; Vijay and Trisha in Thirupaachi. Photograph: Kind courtesy Jason Sanjay/Instagram
Key Points
- Jason Sanjay’s directorial debut, Sigma, is scheduled for release on October 2.
- Vijay’s 2005 blockbuster Thirupaachi is reportedly being re-released in theatres on October 1, setting up a potential box office clash with his son’s debut.
- Sanjay, despite rumours of a rift with his father, publicly called Vijay his biggest inspiration and picked Thirumalai as his favourite Vijay film.
Jason Sanjay might prefer to keep quiet about his father in public, especially regarding the superstar’s personal life. But if the rumours hold true, he is looking straight into an unexpected box office clash with his dad, the current chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
Following the delayed release of Jana Nayagan, Vijay has put acting on the back burner to focus on his governmental responsibilities. To fill the void he has left at the box office, a few of his older blockbusters are steadily making their way back to the big screen.
According to the news portal Dinamani, his 2005 hit Thirupaachi, directed by Perarasu, is hitting theatres again on October 1.
Right on its heels, Jason Sanjay drops his debut film, Sigma, on October 2.
Jason Sanjay’s Directorial Debut
For a star kid, Jason Sanjay has made a rather interesting career choice. Instead of following in his father’s footsteps to be a leading man, he is starting out firmly behind the camera as a director, though Tamil filmmakers do have a habit of eventually stepping in front of the lens to play leads. Just look at Sundar C, S J Suryah and, more recently, Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Sigma is touted as a breezy heist comedy featuring Telugu stars Sundeep Kishan and Faria Abdullah in the lead roles. Others in the cast include Raju Sundaram, Sampath Raj, Shiv Panditt, Yog Japee, Magalakshmi, Sheela Rajkumar, Kiran Konda.
The Rumoured Rift
Rumour has it that Jason Sanjay is not on the best of terms with his father. This follows his mother Sangeeta Sornalingam filing for divorce from the actor-turned-politician, a petition she later withdrew.
The core reason for the separation was reportedly Vijay’s alleged closeness to actress Trisha Krishnan, who, quite incidentally, was the leading lady of Thirupaachi.
Speculation about a rift between father and son only grew stronger when Sanjay unfollowed Vijay on social media. He went a step further and dropped his father’s initial ‘V’ from his name.
But during Sigma‘s pre-launch event on September 8 in Salem, Sanjay flashed a quick thumbs-up to a crowd loudly chanting the name of ‘TVK’, Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
He also called Vijay his biggest inspiration for the movie. When asked to name the first film that starred his father, the 26-year-old filmmaker picked Thirumalai.
A Clash That Almost Happened
Interestingly, Sigma was originally slated for a July 31 release. The film was postponed when Jana Nayagan finally cleared its censor hurdles and hit theatres on July 23.
This was likely a calculated move to avoid a controversial box office face-off between father and son. But the inevitable might just happen anyway if Thirupaachi really does drop the day before Sigma.
You can be absolutely sure social media is going to have a field day, waiting to see if one of Vijay’s most adored hits still has the mettle to outshine his son’s ambitious debut.
