MUMBAI: Actor Pooja Hegde on Saturday appealed to audiences to resist pirated content and wait to experience "Jana Nayagan" in cinemas, calling the online leak of the Vijay-starrer disheartening for every member of the team that worked on the film.
Sharing a note addressed to her "lovely audience" on social media, Hegde said a film is the result of countless hours, creative risks, personal sacrifices and a team that showed up every single day hoping to give the best experience possible.
"Seeing our film leaked online is disheartening, not just for me, but for every single person who worked on it.
"To see it being leaked and shared illegally is tough—not because of numbers, but because it takes away the respect that every artist and technician on the film deserves.. plus don't we all deserve to gather together to celebrate and watch Vijay sir's last film, one last time, on the big screen in the right way," the actor, who stars alongside Vijay in the movie, wrote.
"So let's watch it the right way. Let's wait. It will be out in due time," she added.
Hegde signed off with a message: "Let's not encourage piracy. That's how cinema and art will survive."
"Jana Nayagan", a political thriller directed by H Vinoth and produced by KVN Productions, was widely touted as Vijay's final cinematic outing before he enters full-time politics.
The film was reportedly leaked online on Friday, triggering outrage across the industry.
Superstars Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and actor Suriya have also condemned the leak, with Haasan attributing it to systemic failure caused by prolonged delays in the certification process.
The film has been embroiled in a legal battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for months.
Production sources indicate that civil and criminal proceedings are being initiated against those responsible for the unauthorised circulation.