Madras High Court Sets Aside Order Granting U/A Certificate to Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, Orders Fresh Hearing

The Madras High Court on Tuesday set aside an earlier order of a single judge that had directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a U/A certificate to the Tamil film Jana Nayagan, starring actor Vijay.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan held that the earlier order was passed without following principles of natural justice. The Court observed that the CBFC was not given a proper opportunity to present its case before the single judge.

The matter has now been sent back to the single judge for fresh consideration. The Court directed that the CBFC must be heard before any decision is taken. The producers of the film, KVN Productions, have also been allowed to amend their writ petition to specifically challenge the CBFC Chairperson’s decision to refer the film to a revising committee.

The Division Bench noted that the complaint received against the film raised serious allegations, including concerns about religious sentiments and portrayal of the armed forces. Given the seriousness of these allegations, the CBFC’s decision to send the film for review required proper examination.

The Court further held that the single judge should not have examined the merits of the case when there was no direct challenge to the Chairperson’s order. It emphasised that deciding such issues without hearing the CBFC was not appropriate.

Jana Nayagan, expected to be actor Vijay’s last film before entering politics, faced certification delays, following which the producers approached the High Court. They argued that the CBFC had earlier agreed to grant a U/A certificate after suggested modifications were made, but later sent the film for review without issuing the certificate.

The CBFC, however, stated that a complaint from a member of the examining committee led to the decision to send the film to a revising committee. The Board argued that the complaint claimed certain objections were ignored.

Earlier, the single judge had ruled in favour of the producers and directed immediate certification of the film. This order was stayed by the Division Bench on the same day, with strong remarks against the producers for creating urgency.

The High Court has now directed a fresh hearing after giving all parties a fair opportunity.