Chennia: The Madras High Court on Friday stayed a single judge’s order that had directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a U/A certificate to Jana Nayagan. 

The interim stay was granted by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan while hearing the CBFC’s writ appeal against the earlier ruling. On the request of the additional solicitor general, appearing for the CBFC, the court stayed the certification order and posted the matter for detailed hearing on January 21, after the Pongal court holidays.

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The bench noted submissions made by the additional solicitor general, who mentioned the appeal and sought a stay on the direction to certify the film. The court ordered that the single judge’s decision granting U/A certification be kept in abeyance for the time being and posted the matter for detailed hearing on January 21, after the Pongal court holidays.

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Earlier in the day, a single judge of the Madras High Court had allowed the petition filed by KVN Productions, holding that the CBFC chairperson lacked jurisdiction to reopen the certification process after the examining committee had indicated that a U/A certificate would be granted subject to modifications. The court had also observed that the grievance raised later appeared to be an afterthought and directed that certification should follow once the suggested cuts were implemented.

Following that order, the CBFC moved the division bench in appeal, arguing that the film should receive an ‘A’ certificate instead of U/A. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for KVN Productions, submitted that the original complaint against the film was filed by a member of the examining committee itself.

With the interim stay now in place, the certification and release of Jana Nayagan, billed as Vijay’s final film before entering politics, will remain on hold until the appeal is heard next week.