📌 Key Points
- KVN Productions withdrew its petition against the CBFC regarding ‘Jana Nayagan’ certification.
- The Madras High Court permitted the withdrawal, allowing the revising committee to review the film.
- A prior court order directing the CBFC to grant certification was stayed after an appeal.
- The CBFC cited a complaint from an examining committee member as reason for review.
The legal standoff between KVN Productions and the CBFC over Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ has taken a new turn. KVN Productions withdrew its petition from the Madras High Court, paving the way for the revising committee to assess the film’s certification.
The Legal Battle Unfolds
After a month-long legal battle, KVN Productions has withdrawn its petition against the CBFC over certification of Jana Nayagan. Everything that happened.
On Tuesday, the Madras High Court permitted the producer of Vijay ’s film Jana Nayagan, KVN Productions, to withdraw their petition, which sought direction to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a censor certificate to the film. After a month-long legal battle, the producer withdrew, allowing the revising committee to take over the film’s certification. Here’s what it means for the film’s release.
Producer Withdraws Petition
The same judge had allowed the petition filed by KVN Productions on January 6 and on January 9, directed the CBFC to grant a censor certificate to the film. However, on the same day, a bench comprising Chief Justice M M Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan stayed her order after the CBFC filed an appeal. After hearing both sides on January 20, the bench set aside the single judge’s order on January 27 and asked the producer to amend his prayer. The Supreme Court had refused to intervene.
The issue arose when, on December 22, the producer of Jana Nayagan was informed by the CBFC that the examining committee had viewed the film and would certify it UA 16+. Upon not receiving certification or any communication from the censor board till January 5, the producer approached the court. The CBFC stated that the film was being sent to the revising committee after a member of the examining committee filed a complaint, and that the Chairperson, Prasoon Joshi, put it on hold.
What’s Next for ‘Jana Nayagan’?
However, given that the producer has now withdrawn the case, the film will be sent to the revising committee for certification, if all goes well. Amid the legal battle, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also informed the Lok Sabha that the average time for certifying a film has been reduced to 18 days. The data they released shows that in 2025, 55 films were challenged before the revising committee and 10 were challenged before the High Court. If all goes well, this means that Jana Nayagan will be certified within 20 days of its submission to the committee.
With the Tamil Nadu elections not scheduled yet and Vijay planning to enter politics with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, the film might get a summer release before the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect.
With the petition withdrawn, ‘Jana Nayagan’ now heads to the revising committee. The outcome of this review will ultimately determine the film’s certification and, consequently, its release date. All eyes are on the committee’s decision.
