Jana Nayagan fans left waiting as makers withdraw plea; CBFC revising panel to decide fate

Chennai: The makers of Vijay’s film Jana Nayagan have withdrawn their petition in the Madras High Court that challenged the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for sending the movie to a revising committee.

Justice PT Asha briefly heard the case and allowed the producers to withdraw the petition. This means the CBFC’s revising committee will now review the film and decide whether to give it an adult certificate (A), unrestricted certificate (U), or U/A certificate (under adult supervision).

Earlier, a single-judge of the High Court had ordered the CBFC to clear the film for release immediately. However, a Division Bench later overturned that order, saying the judge should not have ruled on the content of the film at such an early stage.

The Division Bench sent the case back to the single-judge for fresh consideration. The producers withdrew their petition when the matter came up again.

Jana Nayagan, which is being promoted as Vijay’s last film before he enters politics full-time, was originally scheduled to release on January 9, during the Pongal festival.

Why the film was delayed

The producers had complained that the CBFC was delaying the final censor certificate even after they made all the required cuts suggested by the examining committee.

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The film was sent to a revising committee after a complaint alleged that it portrayed the armed forces improperly and might hurt religious sentiments. It later emerged that the complaint was made by a member of the examining committee itself.

The makers had applied for certification on December 18, 2025. After a hearing, the examining committee recommended a UA 16+ certificate on December 22, citing violence, fight scenes, gory visuals, and brief references to religion.

The producers made the required cuts and resubmitted the film on December 24. The revised version was verified on December 29, and they were informed the film would receive UA 16+ certification.

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However, on January 5, the CBFC emailed the producers saying the film would be referred to a revising committee due to the complaint.

The producers then approached the High Court.

Court rulings so far

On January 9, a single-judge ordered the CBFC to clear the film based on the examining committee’s recommendation. But the CBFC urgently approached the Division Bench, which stayed that order the same day.

The Supreme Court later refused to intervene.

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Finally, on January 27, the Division Bench set aside the earlier order and sent the case back for reconsideration.

Now, with the petition withdrawn, the film will be reviewed by the CBFC’s revising committee before any final certificate is issued.