Vijay’s Jana Nayagan set: One town, 120 days, a massive that destroyed everything

Director H Vinoth and art director V Selvakumar shed light on the extensive process behind creating the set of CM Vijay's Jana Nayagan, a film that required a 120-day production span and extensive resources. Vinoth explained the economic challenges of constructing elaborate sets, noting that while the cost can reach millions of rupees, only big stars like Vijay, Rajinikanth, and Kamal Haasan can afford such grand productions.

The advent of CGI technology has alleviated some of these concerns, allowing filmmakers to digitally stitch live feeds, top shots, and stitch scenes together seamlessly. However, Vinoth acknowledged that the allure of shooting on live locations remains strong, as the presence of people adds a unique dynamic to the experience. Art director Selvakumar detailed the painstaking effort required to build and rebuild sets for the film, with some walls needing multiple repairs due to the dynamism of action sequences.

He recounted a particularly harrowing incident where an entire set was destroyed and had to be rebuilt from scratch due to a fire during the Madurai sequence. Despite the emotional toll of witnessing the destruction and reconstruction, Selvakumar highlighted the creative process of transforming a demolished set into a bustling marketplace, complete with temple arches, a chariot, and even a biryani shop.

The film, which spanned roughly 120 days, saw 95% of its shoot at the Democracy Town set in Pepsi Film City, with only three days of exterior filming in Kodaikanal. The set was a veritable melting pot of recreated locations, including Madurai, Chennai, North India, an African jail, a factory, government offices, police stations, courts, and even a forest with a waterfall.

Each set was meticulously designed and redressed for various scenes, with the same street being transformed into a completely different backdrop for different shots.