Jana Nayagan censor delay could lead to Rs 20 crore loss for producers

The release of Jana Nayagan, the Vijay-starrer scheduled to hit theatres on January 9, has been pushed into uncertainty after the Madras High Court reserved its judgment on a petition seeking directions to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to expedite the film’s certification. With the verdict now expected on the same day as the announced release, the film’s theatrical rollout faces a last-minute hurdle.

What the petition is about

The makers of Jana Nayagan approached the Madras High Court after the film failed to receive its CBFC certificate despite being submitted well ahead of its planned release. The petition seeks a court direction to the CBFC to complete the certification process and issue the censor certificate in time for the January 9 release.

According to the makers, the film was submitted for certification on December 18th, well ahead of the release date. After reviewing the film, the Censor board, according to the producers, had suggested several cuts to procure UA certification.

The makers had then implemented the cuts -- that included scenes of violence and gore -- and submitted the film back on December 24. The production further noted that the CBFC had reportedly told that the film would be given a UA certificate. However, on January 5th, the CBFC claimed that it was submitting the film to a review committee for revaluation, which led the makers to seek a judicial remedy.

Also Read: Madras HC asks CBFC to produce copy of complaint against ‘Jana Nayagan’ tomorrow

The case has drawn heightened attention, as Jana Nayagan is widely projected as Vijay’s final film before he fully transitions into politics, adding to the scrutiny around its release and certification.

Why the CBFC clearance is stuck

During the hearing, the High Court sought clarity on what exactly was delaying the certification and asked the CBFC to place on record the complaints or material based on which clearance had been withheld. It further asked to particularly specify on what grounds it was claimed that the film may hurt religious sentiments.

The CBFC side, in its submissions before the court, argued that filmmakers cannot seek “expeditious” certification merely because a release date has been publicly announced, maintaining that the CBFC must adhere to due process and established procedures.

What happened on Wednesday

The CBFC side produced the copy of the email that led the board to decide for a review on the certification. However, the court noted that all the complaints raised in the mail was already addressed by Jana Nayagan filmmakers, who had implemented the cuts and changes suggested by CBFC. The court further questioned why the makers were not communicated about the decision to review the film. However, by the end of the session the court reserved the judgement to January 9.

Court timeline and the January 9 problem

The Madras High Court hearings were carried out on January 7th, and the matter has now reached a stage where the judgment is expected on January 9-- the same day the film is slated for release.

Also Read: Jana Nayagan vs Parasakthi: TN's political battle spills from streets to silver screen

This creates a practical bottleneck: without a CBFC certificate, the film cannot legally be screened in Indian theatres. If certification is not secured ahead of showtimes, distributors and theatre owners are unlikely to proceed with a full-scale release.

Film to incur huge loss

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala has estimated that the delay could result in a loss of at least ₹20 crore for the makers.

“If we know the exact date the film will be postponed, we can calculate a near-correct figure of how much the film will lose. Yet, even now, it is unlikely that the film will be released on the 9th. So, it will lead to a loss of at least ₹20 crore,” Bala said.

Explaining the reasons behind the projected loss, he added, “The film’s overseas booking has already been done, and now all such shows will get cancelled. On top of that, the film will not have the number of screens it has now as other films from Tamil and Telugu will have booked the slots. So that will lead to fewer screens. It is a loss too.”