Thalapathy Vijay's highly anticipated film "Jana Nayagan" faces an indefinite delay after its censor certification dispute reached the Supreme Court of India. The film, widely considered Vijay's last before his full-time entry into politics, was originally set for a January 9 release. Its producers, KVN Productions, have now moved the top court, challenging an interim stay imposed by the Madras High Court on the film's certification. This legal battle stems from a Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) decision to refer the movie to a revising committee despite earlier agreeing to issue a U/A 16+ certificate^{[1][2][3][4][5]}. ### Censor Board Actions Spark Controversy KVN Productions initially submitted "Jana Nayagan" to the CBFC on December 18, 2025. After the board raised objections, the filmmakers made around 27 cuts and resubmitted the movie on December 22, 2025. The CBFC's examining committee then recommended a U/A 16+ certificate, subject to these changes. However, the official approval did not arrive. On January 5, just four days before the planned release, the producers learned the film had been referred to a revising committee^[5][6]. This sudden referral followed a complaint from one of the CBFC examining committee members. The complaint alleged that certain scenes in the film could be "religiously offensive" and also raised objections to depictions of defense forces, arguing these needed review by a defense expert^{[1][2][7][4][8][6]}. Producers contended that the CBFC chairperson could not unilaterally refer the film to a revising committee after an examining committee had already recommended certification and cuts were made^[7][4][9]. ### High Court Rulings and Subsequent Stay With time running out, KVN Productions approached the Madras High Court on January 6, citing delays in certification^[2][7][5][6]. Justice P.T. Asha, presiding over a single-judge bench, heard the arguments. On January 9, Justice Asha directed the CBFC to issue a U/A 16+ certificate for the film immediately^{[1][10][7][4][5][9][11]}. She observed that once the examining committee cleared the film and the makers complied with suggested cuts, referring it to a revising committee at that stage lacked justification and undermined procedural fairness^[7][4][9]. However, this relief was short-lived. Later on January 9, the CBFC swiftly challenged Justice Asha's order before a division bench of the Madras High Court, led by Chief Justice M.M. Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan. The division bench granted an interim stay on the single judge's order, effectively blocking the film's immediate release. The bench reportedly questioned the filmmakers for announcing a release date before receiving final certification. The next hearing at the Madras High Court is scheduled for January 21, 2026^{[1][10][4][5][9][6]}. ### Supreme Court Appeal Launched In a significant development, the makers of "Jana Nayagan" have now approached the Supreme Court of India. They are challenging the interim stay imposed by the Madras High Court's division bench. KVN Productions has sought an urgent listing for their appeal, requesting the matter be taken up as early as January 12^{[1][10][2][3][7][4]}. The Supreme Court's decision will now determine the film's release fate, adding further uncertainty to its debut^[1][2]. The film, a political action thriller directed by H. Vinoth, features a star-studded cast including Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and Mamitha Baiju, alongside Vijay^[12][9]. It holds special significance as it is expected to be Vijay's final cinematic role before he fully transitions into his political career, having recently founded the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party^{[2][3][4][12][8][9]}. Nearly Rs 500 crore has been invested in the project, making the delays financially impactful^[5]. ### Industry Rallies Support The ongoing censorship row has garnered widespread attention and support from the Tamil film industry. Producer Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions issued a video statement, apologizing to Vijay's fans for the delay. He stated, "This has been an extremely emotional and difficult moment for everyone who has poured their heart, soul and years of hard work into this film. Above all, we firmly believe that Thalapathy Vijay sir deserves the farewell he has earned through decades of love from his fans"^[10][6]. Veteran actor Kamal Haasan also weighed in, without directly naming the film, calling for a "principled relook" at certification processes. He emphasized the need for defined timelines, transparent evaluation, and written, reasoned justifications for any suggested cuts or edits^[10]. Other film personalities like Jiiva, Silambarasan TR, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, and director Ajay Gnanamuthu have voiced solidarity with Vijay and condemned the CBFC for the delays^[8][13]. Some public sections speculate that the delay might have political motivations, given Vijay's past criticisms of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi^[8][11]. The legal battle leaves fans eagerly awaiting clarity on when "Jana Nayagan" will finally reach theaters. The Supreme Court's upcoming hearing holds the key to resolving this high-stakes dispute.

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