When it comes to the North American box office for Indian films, the market has historically been dominated by Hindi and Telugu cinema, with Tamil films finding consistent success only through two towering stars Rajinikanth and Thalapathy Vijay. In 2025, before Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar rewrote records, it was Rajinikanth’s Coolie that held the crown as the highest-grossing Indian film in the circuit. Now, Vijay appears poised to once again demonstrate his overseas pull with his final film, Jana Nayagan.Releasing on January 9, Jana Nayagan is clashing directly with Prabhas’s The Raja Saab, and the latest advance booking numbers suggest a clear shift in momentum. As per current data with 8 days to go for premieres, Jana Nayagan has amassed $260,512 in USA premiere advance sales, spread across 201 locations and 446 shows, selling an impressive 12,748 tickets. Its total North America premiere advances stand at $350K.In comparison, The Raja Saab has collected $305,112 in USA premiere advances, across a much wider release footprint of 344 locations and 1,035 shows, with 10,789 tickets sold. The film’s total North America premiere advances are approximately $315K. Despite having significantly more screens and shows, Prabhas’s film is trailing Vijay’s starrer in overall North American advances, a development that few would have predicted given Prabhas’s historic dominance in the region.Post the Baahubali series, Prabhas has been an undisputed force in North America, with films like Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire and Kalki 2898 AD crossing $1 million in premiere advances with more than a couple of weeks left for release. The Raja Saab, however, has struggled to replicate that trajectory. Even after its trailer release, the film has failed to show the sharp acceleration typically associated with a Prabhas outing, currently hovering just above the $300K mark.Jana Nayagan has benefited from strong emotional and legacy-driven appeal. Directed by H Vinoth and featuring Bobby Deol and Pooja Hegde, the film is being marketed as Vijay’s final theatrical release before his full-time political entry. . Post the film, Vijay is set to formally launch his political journey under his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), further amplifying public interest.
