Kollywood firms up summer calendar

With the Election Commission of India announcing April 23 as polling day in Tamil Nadu, the Tamil film industry is beginning to see hope for a summer release window that could revive the box office.

Big-ticket films such as Suriya’s Karuppu and Dhanush’s Kara are expected to arrive during this period, with Vijay’s Jana Nayagan also likely to join the line-up.“It has been a very lean period for Kollywood so far in 2026. Only five films — Parasakthi , Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimayil , With Love , Thaai Kizhavi and Youth — out of about 75 releases have turned profitable. Around 10 films are vying for the five-week window from April 30 to the end of May,” says producer and distributor G Dhananjheyan.Until May, theatres are expected to rely largely on smaller-budget films. “Starting March 19 with Ken Karunas’s Youth , the next few weeks will see a stream of small releases. Over half-adozen films are slated for the April 3 and April 10 weekends alone. Several are also eyeing the April 17 and April 24 slots,” says an industry insider.WHY ELECTIONS AFFECT BIG RELEASESElection season has traditionally been a tricky period for major film releases. “During elections, public attention is largely focused on political campaigns.

Promotions for big films struggle to compete with that level of visibility,” the insider explains.“Small-budget films can still survive during this period, but stardriven projects with huge investments prefer to avoid the clash, as they need sustained publicity and audience attention to recover costs.”THE JANA NAYAGAN DILEMMAMeanwhile, the biggest question in Kollywood is whether Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, originally planned as a Pongal release, will finally arrive this summer.“If the film receives its censor certificate soon, the makers may look to release it before June,” says Dhananjheyan.He adds that the certification process itself could affect the timing. “The film has gone to the Revising Committee, and given the political backdrop, the process could run until April 23. That makes an April 24 release difficult.”Releasing after May 4 — when election results are announced — also carries risk.

“If Vijay doesn’t secure significant vote share or seats, the political outcome could affect the film’s momentum,” he says.“For that reason, April 30 looks like the most practical window. It would give the film a few days to collect before the results are announced.”However, such a move could disrupt other planned releases. “Everything depends on when Jana Nayagan gets censored. If the makers opt for April 30 or May 15, the release calendar will undergo another major reshuffle, much like what happened during Pongal,” the insider adds.