Jana Nayagan Release Row: CBFC Seeks Cuts, Madras HC Reserves Order

A division bench of the Madras High Court, led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, reserved its ruling in an appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) contesting a single judge's order directing it to grant a U/A 16+ certificate to the film, marking yet another setback for director H Vinoth's "Thalapathy" Vijay-starring Jana Nayagan. On Tuesday, January 20, the court heard the case in detail but did not render a decision.

The board claims that the 14 suggested edits in the movie are only in the middle of the process and are not final. The board has not yet made a final judgment in this regard. Vijay's final movie is being marketed as Jana Nayagan. Vijay Thalapathy is prepared to run in the next Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and is probably going to get involved in politics. H Vinoth is the director of the movie, which is reportedly a high-budget production. According to reports, the film's producers spent almost Rs 500 crore.

Jana Nayagan Release Delayed?

BREAKING: Chief Justice Bench of Madras High Court has reserved orders for #JanaNayagan CBFC case without mentioning a date. Postponed. pic.twitter.com/XZEuDmtomj

— LetsCinema (@letscinema) January 20, 2026

Jana Nayagan, Vijay's final film, was originally slated to debut on January 9, the same day as Pongal. However, due to an excessive delay in securing certification from the CBFC, the film was unable to obtain legal relief, and it was postponed indefinitely. Jana Nayagan has not yet received relief, despite the fact that the film's producers filed a lawsuit two weeks ago.

The Chief Justice further questioned whether the main board in Mumbai or the regional office in Chennai sent the request to submit the film to the revision committee. The information was submitted from Mumbai, according to the CBFC. Additionally, ARL Sundaresan stated that the 14 cuts recommended by the inquiry committee should not be regarded as a final judgment because they are merely a temporary solution. Additionally, he made it clear that the chairperson of the board has not yet issued a final order pertaining to the movie.

The producers' claim of an investment of Rs 500 crore was also contested by the CBFC. He claimed that it was incomprehensible to determine the release date ahead of time when the movie had not yet gotten the certificate. The CBFC further argued that the notification received on January 6 was not contested in court and that the board was not given enough time to submit its response in the initial HC session. Following lunch, the court will hear KVN Productions' arguments before holding more sessions.

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