Thalapathy Vijay’s Theri to not get a Pongal 2026 re-release?

Jana Nayagan was meant to be the big Pongal release of 2026, what with it being Thalapathy’s last commercial film before his full-fledged plunge into active politics. The film’s release, though, has been mired in controversy, with the makers and the censor board engaged in a tussle over certifying it, which is now sub-judice.

With Jana Nayagan out of the picture, several other Tamil films, like Karthi’s Vaa Vaathiyaar and Jiiva’s Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil, apart from Siva Kartikeyan’s Parasakthi (which released on January 10, 2026), advanced their release plans to make the most of the holiday window. To appease dejected Vijay fans, there was a plan to re-release his 2016 hit, Theri . Something’s better than nothing, they reckoned, and were all set to celebrate the re-release.

Has Vijay's Theri been postponed?

However, a little while ago, Theri producer Kalaippuli S Thanu took to social media to announce that those celebrations will have to wait. Thanu was apparently approached by the teams of the other Pongal films and urged to postpone the re-release. “As per the request from the producers of upcoming releases, we have decided to postpone the release of Theri,” he wrote.

Also read: 5 Tamil films to watch in theatres for Pongal 2026: From Theri re-release to Vaa Vaathiyaar 

Several fans applauded the filmmaker’s gesture and reckoned that the film deserved a bigger release, instead of being one of 5 for Pongal 2026. Some, though, wondered if Thanu was really supporting smaller films or if there was pressure from the makers of Parasakthi. Either which way, Theri will not be in theatres this week and no new date has been announced as of now.

Theri FAQs

Q. Where to watch Theri?

A. Thalapathy Vijay''s Theri is available to stream on Sun NXT (via OTTplay Premium too). It was meant to get a theatrical re-release on January 15, 2026 for the Pongal festivities, but has been postponed. A new date is yet to be announced. 

Q. Who is on the cast of Theri

A. Theri, directed by Atlee, is led by Vijay, who is joined by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Amy Jackson, Prabhu, Rajendran, Mahendran, among many others.