Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan Release Stalled Till Jan 21 After Court Stay: Report

Actor-politician Thalapathy Vijay's much-awaited film Jana Nayagan will not be released until at least Jan. 21, LiveLaw reported.

The Madras High Court has temporarily stayed a judge's order that had directed the Central Board of Film Certification to grant the film a U/A certificate and has posted the matter to Jan. 21, after the Pongal holidays.

With the stay in place and no valid censor certificate issued, the film’s India release remains on hold.

As reported by LiveLaw, the court said the Union government was not given enough time to respond earlier. One of its main complaints was that a letter dated Jan. 6 was not even challenged but was still set aside by the single judge. The respondents also argued that there was no urgency in the case.

The court noted, “All said and done there was no certificate granted to respondents,” and then stayed the earlier direction.

The decision came just days before the film’s planned Jan. 9 release, forcing the makers to postpone it. Announcing the delay, KVN Productions said, “It is with a heavy heart that we share this update with our valued stakeholders and audiences. The release of Jana Nayagan, eagerly awaited on January 9, has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances beyond our control.”

The problem began with the film’s censor process. Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan is Vijay’s final film before he fully enters politics, which had raised expectations and advance bookings. The film was submitted to the CBFC on December 18. After the first screening, the board asked for several changes, and the producers said they made around 27 cuts.

A revised version was sent back on Dec. 22. The makers said they were later told that a U/A 16+ certificate had been recommended, but the official certificate was never issued. On Jan. 5, the CBFC sent the film to a revising committee and asked the producers to approach its Mumbai office.

During the court hearing, the CBFC said the move followed a complaint that the film hurt the sentiments of a minority community. It also raised concerns about the use of defence force emblems in the film. The board said there was no bad intention behind the delay.

With the release now uncertain, theatres have started refunding tickets. Demand had been very high, especially in Chennai, where reports said black-market ticket prices went up to Rs 5,000.