Jason Sanjay has officially arrived — not in front of the camera, but behind it. The son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, the man millions of fans still call Thalapathy, made his directorial debut this week with Sigma, and the opening-day numbers suggest Tamil cinema may have a new filmmaker to watch.
Released in theatres on October 2, 2026, Sigma stars Sundeep Kishan in the lead role and has been one of the most closely tracked launches in recent Kollywood memory. According to early estimates reported by The Times of India, the film collected approximately Rs 2.35 crore on its opening day.
That figure becomes far more significant when placed next to the day’s big competition. Vijay Sethupathi’s Baththa, which hit screens on the same day, earned around Rs 1.50 crore on Day 1, per the same estimates. A debutant director out-earning one of Tamil cinema’s most bankable stars on opening day is the kind of statistic that travels fast — and it has, dominating entertainment headlines through the weekend.
A debut years in the making
The curiosity around Sigma was always going to be enormous. Jason Sanjay grew up in the glare of one of Indian cinema’s brightest spotlights, and his decision to step behind the camera rather than in front of it set him apart from the start. Film circles have whispered about his filmmaking ambitions for years, and Sigma is the answer to all that speculation.
Choosing Sundeep Kishan as his leading man was itself a statement. The Telugu-Tamil bilingual actor brings both credibility and a loyal fan base, and early reactions suggest the collaboration has given the film a solid emotional core to lean on.
Mixed reviews, strong buzz
Critics, meanwhile, are divided. Early reviews for Sigma have been mixed, with some reviewers praising Jason’s confidence and craft for a first-time director while others felt the storytelling didn’t fully match the ambition. But Tamil cinema has repeatedly shown that audience word-of-mouth can rewrite a film’s fate over its first weekend — and the curiosity factor here is sky-high.
Trade watchers will now be tracking the crucial Saturday-Sunday hold. A strong weekend trend could put Sigma on course for a respectable lifetime total, while settling the opening-weekend bragging rights against Baththa.
The family’s show of strength
Off-screen, the film has already delivered unforgettable moments. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay was seen holding up a Sigma frame at a roadshow — a proud father’s gesture that instantly went viral. In a rare public appearance, his wife Sangeetha and daughter Divya Sasha attended the film’s screening, turning it into a full family show of support for Jason’s big moment.
For Vijay, who has balanced political life with his larger-than-life cinema legacy, the sight of his son’s name on a director’s credit clearly meant a great deal — and fans lapped it up.
What next for Jason Sanjay?
One thing is certain: the Rs 2.35 crore opening has bought Jason Sanjay something no launch buzz can — genuine box-office credibility on Day 1. Whether Sigma sustains its momentum in the coming weeks will decide how the industry remembers this debut, but the first battle — against formidable competition, under an unforgiving spotlight — has gone his way.
Kollywood loves a good debut story. This one, it seems, is just getting started.
