Chennai: The release of Thalapathy Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan has been postponed worldwide from Friday, the production house announced late on Wednesday, after the Tamil actor-politician’s much-publicised “last film” became embroiled in a censorship controversy that has reached the high court.
The Madras High Court Wednesday heard a petition filed by KVN Productions against the delay in granting certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and reserved the order.
Hours later, the production house announced in a post on X, “The movie release date has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances beyond our control.”
“We deeply understand the anticipation, excitement, and emotions surrounding this film, and this decision has not been an easy one for any of us. The new release date will be announced at the earliest.”
At the heart of the controversy are allegations of scenes “hurting religious sentiments” and misrepresenting the armed forces, further complicated by procedural wrangles at the CBFC.
The certification impasse began after the KVN Productions submitted the film to the CBFC’s Chennai office on 18 December 2025, soon after wrapping the post-production process.
The examining committee screened it on 22 December, and recommended a U/A (unrestricted with parental guidance) certificate for viewers above 16, subject to specific excisions.
According to the production house, the examining committee recommended muting or cutting scenes deemed sensitive, including brief depictions touching on religious sentiments, as well as frequent and extended action sequences featuring gunfire, explosions, and gory visuals considered unsuitable for younger audiences.
— KVN Productions (@KvnProductions) January 7, 2026
The producers complied swiftly, implementing the changes and resubmitting the revised version on 24 December. On 29 December, they were informally assured the certificate would be issued. However, the process hit a wall on 5 January, four days before the scheduled release.
It is learnt that the CBFC’s regional officer informed the team that the film was being referred to a revising committee under Rule 24 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983, based on a complaint alleging the movie contained scenes that could hurt religious sentiments, and that it portrayed the armed forces in an objectionable light.
Although the details of the complaint were not given to the production house, they emerged during the court proceedings Wednesday.
The complainant was one of the members of the examining committee, who claimed that his objections were not properly recorded during the initial screening.
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What happened in court
Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, who appeared before the Madras High Court on behalf of the CBFC, said there were additional concerns from the CBFC, including on the film’s use of defense force emblems without prior consultation with military experts.
However, the production house argued that those issues were already addressed in the recommended cuts, and questioned the need for a fresh review by a panel excluding original committee members.
Senior Counsel Satish Parasaran, representing the KVN productions, argued that the referral to the new committee was “arbitrary and unlawful”, violating procedural fairness under the Cinematograph Act.
“Entertaining anonymous or vague complaints at this stage sets a dangerous precedent for frivolous objections to unreleased films,” Parasaran contended.
ASG Sundaresan defended the CBFC, saying the chairperson has overarching powers to order a review even after the recommendations of the examining committee, if unsatisfied or upon receiving new inputs.
“The certificate is issued by the CBFC, not the committee. Procedures must be followed, including consulting defence experts for emblems,” Sundaresan said, seeking four weeks to file a counter-affidavit.
After hearing both sides, Justice PT Asha reserved the orders. On the petitioners’ request, the judge said the order could be pronounced on or before 9 January, the day the movie was scheduled to release.
Vijay’s 69th project as lead
Directed by H. Vinoth, and produced by Venkat K. Narayana under KVN Productions, Jana Nayagan marks Vijay’s 69th outing, and his self-proclaimed final one, as a lead actor
Vijay, who launched his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in February 2024, has positioned Jana Nayagan as a thematic bridge to his new avatar as a leader.
Supporting Vijay in the movie are Pooja Hegde as the female lead Kayal and Mamitha Baiju in a pivotal role. The trailer amassed more than 83 million views within 24 hours of its release, while music by Anirudh Ravichander, including tracks like “Thalapathy Kacheri” and “Oru Pere Varalaaru“, has already generated massive hype.
This is not the first time Vijay’s films have courted controversy. His earlier releases, including Mersal (2017) and Sarkar (2018), faced cuts over their political satire.
However, the stakes are higher for Jana Nayagan, as its release coincides with the politically charged Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan. Parasakthi centres on the anti-Hindi agitations that swept the state in 1964, further intensifying the political overtones surrounding the release.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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