CBFC Revising Committee to Decide Certification of Vijay’s Jana Nayagan

The certification of the Tamil film Jana Nayagan, starring Vijay, will now be decided by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after the producers withdrew their petition before the Madras High Court.

The producers had challenged the CBFC’s decision to refer the film to a revising committee. Justice P.T. Asha briefly heard the matter and allowed the producers to withdraw their plea. As a result, the revising committee of the CBFC will now review the film and decide whether it should receive a ‘U’ (unrestricted), ‘U/A’ (parental guidance), or ‘A’ (adult) certificate.

Earlier, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court had set aside an interim order passed by a single judge, which had directed the CBFC to immediately clear the film for release. The Division Bench held that the single judge should not have examined the merits of the complaint about the film’s content at an interim stage. The case was sent back to the single judge for fresh consideration.

When the matter came up again, the producers chose to withdraw the petition, allowing the certification process to continue before the CBFC.

Jana Nayagan, believed to be Vijay’s last film before his full-time entry into politics, was scheduled for release on January 9 during the Pongal festival. The producers, KVN Productions, had approached the High Court alleging delays by the CBFC in issuing the final certificate, despite complying with all suggested cuts.

The dispute began when the film was referred to a revising committee following a complaint alleging improper portrayal of defence forces and potential hurt to religious sentiments. It later came to light that the complaint was made by a member of the examining committee itself.

The producers informed the Court that they applied for certification on December 18, 2025. On December 22, the examining committee recommended a ‘UA 16+’ certificate due to scenes involving violence, fight sequences, gory visuals, and brief references to religious sentiments. Certain cuts were suggested and were complied with by December 24.

After verification on December 29, the producers were informed that the film would receive ‘UA 16+’ certification. However, on January 5, they received an email stating that the film was being referred to a revising committee under Rule 24 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules.

This led to legal proceedings, during which a single judge initially ordered the CBFC to clear the film’s release. That order was stayed the same day by a Division Bench, and the Supreme Court later refused to interfere. On January 27, the Division Bench formally set aside the single-judge order and sent the matter back for reconsideration, leading to the producers’ decision to withdraw the case.