Setback for Thalapathy Vijay as Madras High Court stalls censor certification for Jana Nayagan

Thalapathy Vijay’s eagerly awaited political thriller Jana Nayagan has hit another roadblock, leaving fans frustrated just days after a new release date was announced. The Madras High Court has temporarily stayed the single judge’s order directing the CBFC to grant the film a UA certificate, putting the release on hold once again. The drama around Vijay’s final movie before his entry into politics has reignited discussions online, with audiences now anxiously waiting to know when they can finally watch the film on the big screen.

Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled for a Pongal release on January 9. The producers had to delay the release just two days before the planned date, disappointing fans and theatre chains alike.

According to PTI, the Madras High Court on Friday stayed a single judge’s order that had directed the Central Board of Film Certification to immediately issue a censor certificate to Jana Nayagan, putting Vijay’s politically charged film back in uncertainty. The stay was granted by a division bench led by Chief Justice M M Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan after the CBFC filed an appeal.


Earlier in the day, Justice PT Asha had ruled in favour of producer KVN Productions, holding that once the Examining Committee cleared the film, the CBFC chairperson could not refer it to a review panel. Challenging this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and ASG ARL Sundaresan argued that the board needed time to respond and that concerns related to the Army and religious sentiments justified a review. The bench said the CBFC was not given adequate opportunity to file its reply and stayed the order.

Jana Nayagan's legal tussle

A legal tussle has emerged over the certification of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s upcoming film Jana Nayagan. On Friday, a single-judge bench of the Madras High Court directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a censor certificate to the film, overturning the board’s decision to refer it to a Review Committee.

Justice PT Asha, while allowing the petition filed by producer KVN Productions, observed that once the CBFC’s examining committee had cleared the film for certification.

However, the relief was short-lived. The CBFC immediately challenged the order, following which a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava stayed the single judge’s direction and allowed the appeal.



Jana Nayagan, widely seen as Vijay’s final film before entering politics full-time, is slated for release on January 9. Earlier, the High Court had reserved its order on January 7 on a plea seeking a ‘UA 16+’ certificate for the film. The CBFC had informed the court that, despite a scheduled release date, the film could not be screened without statutory clearance.

Directed by H Vinoth, the film features Vijay alongside Prakash Raj, Pooja Hegde and Mamitha Baiju. The completed film was submitted for certification on December 18, following which the board reportedly suggested cuts and dialogue modifications.