Supreme Court To Hear Plea For CBFC Clearance Of Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’

The Supreme Court will hear a plea on January 15 seeking Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance for the Tamil movie ‘Jana Nayagan’, starring actor Vijay.

The petition has been filed by the film’s producer, KVN Productions LLP, against an order of the Madras High Court division bench, which stayed an earlier direction to immediately certify the film.

A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih will take up the matter.

‘Jana Nayagan’, believed to be Vijay’s last film before his full-time entry into politics, was announced as a Pongal release on January 9. However, the film ran into trouble when the CBFC Chairperson referred it to a Revising Committee on January 6.

Earlier, the CBFC Examining Committee in Chennai had agreed to give the film a U/A 16+ certificate, subject to a few edits.

Challenging the CBFC’s decision, the producers approached the Madras High Court. On January 9, a single judge directed the CBFC to issue the certificate immediately.

Why Vijay’s Jana Nayagan Missed Its Pongal Release: Inside The Censorship Controversy

On the same day, the CBFC filed an urgent appeal before a division bench, which stayed the single judge’s order and adjourned the matter to January 20.

The division bench said the CBFC was not given enough time to respond before the single judge passed the order.

The CBFC Chairperson referred the film to a Revising Committee after receiving a complaint alleging that certain scenes hurt religious sentiments and sensitively portrayed the armed forces.

Sarvam Maya OTT Release: When And Where To Watch Nivin Pauly’s Blockbuster

Notably, the complaint was filed by a member of the same Examining Committee that had earlier cleared the film.

The single judge questioned this move, calling it unsustainable. The court said a committee member changing their stand after clearing a film could set a dangerous precedent and weaken the certification process.s

The division bench noted that the Chairperson’s January 6 order was not directly challenged by the producers. It also criticised the producers for announcing a release date before obtaining CBFC certification, saying it put unnecessary pressure on the court.