Madras High Court’s bench verdict stayed: Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ will not be released till 21
Madras High Court Stays CBFC Certification for Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayakan’, Release Date Postponed: Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay’s much-anticipated film Jana Nayakan has suffered another major setback after the Madras High Court on Friday, January 9, temporarily restrained the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from granting the film a censor certificate. The court’s decision has effectively dashed the makers’ plans for a Pongal release.
The issue relating to the censor certification of Jana Nayakan came up for hearing again on Friday afternoon. A division bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan granted an interim stay on a single judge’s earlier order that had directed the CBFC to issue a U/A certificate to the Vijay-starrer.
According to PTI, the stay was imposed after Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared via video conferencing, presented the CBFC’s arguments and explained the grounds for filing an appeal against the single judge’s order.
Release of ‘Jana Nayakan’ Delayed Following Court Stay on Censor Certificate
The division bench was hearing a writ appeal filed by the CBFC, challenging the order that was passed earlier on the same day. During the proceedings, the court expressed concern over the speed with which the matter had been taken up and decided previously.
As per a report by Live Law, Chief Justice Shrivastava questioned the urgency shown in the earlier hearing and remarked, “What was the hurry that the respondent (Board) was asked to respond to the petition and the matter was disposed of within two days?” The Chief Justice further observed that it appeared the filmmakers were attempting to pressure the court by seeking immediate relief. “You are rushing and pressuring the court,” he said.
With the temporary stay now in place, the censor certification process for Jana Nayakan has been halted until the next hearing, which has been scheduled for January 21, after the Pongal holidays. This development has ruled out any possibility of the film releasing during the festive season.
The delay has disappointed Vijay’s fans, who had been eagerly awaiting the film’s release. The makers are yet to issue an official statement on the revised release plans. Jana Nayakan was originally slated to hit theatres on January 9, but its release was postponed due to the unresolved certification issue.
Directed by H. Vinod, Jana Nayakan is one of Vijay’s most anticipated projects and holds special significance as it is expected to be his last film. The actor-turned-politician had announced last year that he would step away from cinema to focus entirely on his political career, adding to the heightened expectations surrounding the film.
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