The release of Vijay's ‘Jana Nayagan’ is once again making headlines, not because of a confirmed release date this time. Reports suggest the makers are dealing with censor-related changes, release date discussions and a piracy investigation, all at the same time.

According to a report by Filmibeat, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has recommended several changes before clearing ‘Jana Nayagan’ for release.

The report states that the examining committee, along with the examining officer, proposed an 'A' certificate because of the film's violent scenes, political references and religious content.

The panel also reportedly asked the makers to mute certain dialogues and change the name of Priyamani's character, as it is said to match that of a real-life government official.

The filmmakers are now expected to make the required changes before submitting the film again under Rule 33.

The report further claims that the final version of the film will carry the title card "The Honourable Chief Minister" alongside Vijay's name. Minor changes are also expected to be made to a few songs and the farewell audio launch clips included in the end credits.

July 16 or July 24? release date still being discussed

The film's release date is also said to be under discussion.

According to the reports, distributors are said to prefer a July 24 release. They believe it would help the film avoid clashing with Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey’ while also giving the team more time for promotions and theatre bookings.

However, the film's OTT partner is reportedly pushing for a July 16 theatrical release. The platform is believed to be aiming for an Independence Day weekend streaming premiere after the completion of the film's theatrical run.

The producer is expected to take the final decision after considering both options. As of now, the makers have not officially confirmed the release date.

Piracy case takes a serious turn

Even as the release plans remain uncertain, the film has become the centre of a major piracy case.

The Madras High Court recently refused bail to two people accused in the case after prosecutors claimed that the unreleased film had already been watched online by around 12 million people before receiving certification for public exhibition.

Justice C Kumarappan rejected the bail applications filed by S Rajini, the fourth accused, and Jayaprakash, the eleventh accused, observing that the allegations were serious and that the investigation was still underway.

According to the prosecution, the leak began inside an editing studio.

Investigators alleged that the main accused, a freelance film editor and the brother of one of the accused, copied film footage stored on a hard drive from the editing suite.

The prosecution further claimed that he, along with two of his brothers, assembled the separate clips into a complete version of the film before uploading it to Google Drive.

From there, the film allegedly spread across piracy websites, including Tamil Rockers, allowing millions of people to watch the uncertified version before the links were eventually blocked.

Vijay's final film before politics

Directed by H Vinoth, ‘Jana Nayagan’ has attracted enormous attention as it has been announced as Vijay's final film before he shifts his focus fully to politics.

The film features an ensemble cast including Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Priyamani, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Mamitha Baiju and Narain in important roles. The music has been composed by Anirudh Ravichander.