CM Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' cleared with 'A' rating, theatrical release soon
Chennai, July 12
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor C Joseph Vijay's much-awaited final film, 'Jana Nayagan,' is finally set to head to theatres after clearing its long certification battle.
The makers on Saturday confirmed that the H. Vinoth directorial has been awarded an 'A' certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), following compliance with 12 modifications suggested by the board.
The announcement was made through a new poster shared on social media, with the makers writing, "See you soon in theatres nanba and nanbis. Jana Nayagan censored A." In a notable first, the production house also referred to Vijay as "The Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu... C. Joseph Vijay" in its promotional material.
While the makers have confirmed that the film will release in theatres soon, they are yet to announce an official release date.
The certification marks the end of months of legal and regulatory hurdles faced by the film. 'Jana Nayagan' was originally slated for a Pongal release on January 9 but ran into trouble after the CBFC withheld certification, citing concerns that certain scenes could potentially hurt religious sentiments.
The matter subsequently reached the courts. A single-judge bench had directed the CBFC to issue a U/A 16+ certificate, offering temporary relief to the makers. However, the CBFC challenged the order before a division bench of the High Court, which stayed the earlier ruling on January 9.
Following the setback, the producers approached the Supreme Court seeking an urgent stay on the High Court's order.
The film also courted controversy after portions of it were allegedly leaked online ahead of its release. KVN Productions had issued a public appeal urging viewers not to watch or circulate the leaked footage, stating that in some cases, nearly the entire film had been illegally shared. The banner also confirmed that strict legal action was being initiated against those responsible.
Directed by H. Vinoth, Jana Nayagan stars Vijay alongside Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj, Bobby Deol, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priyamani and Narain.
The film features music by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan, editing by Pradeep E. Ragav and production design by V. Selvakumar. It is the official remake of the National Award-winning Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari (2023), which starred Nandamuri Balakrishna and Sreeleela.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a Tamilian, I feel proud that our CM is also a superstar. But calling him "Honourable Chief Minister" in promotional material feels a bit too much? Let the movie speak for itself. Hoping for a great entertainer!
Honestly, the whole certification saga shows how our censor board needs reform. 12 modifications for a commercial film? Plus the leak issue - that's criminal. Hope the movie does well, but I'm more concerned about the leaking of almost entire film. That's a huge loss for the makers.
No official release date yet after all this delay? That's concerning. But knowing Vijay sir's fan base, it'll be a massive hit regardless. Just disappointed that the Pongal release didn't happen because of all this chaos. Missing those festive movie vibes! 😔
Big fan of Anirudh's music! Hope the soundtrack is as energetic as his previous works with Vijay. Also, Prakash Raj and Bobby Deol in a remake of Bhagavanth Kesari? Interesting combo! The original was good, but with Vinoth's direction style, expecting some unique twists. Let's see how it performs.
Interesting to see a sitting CM releasing a film after such controversy. In the US, we'd never see a politician act in a movie. But India is different I guess. Hope the censorship doesn't hurt the story. Good luck to the team!
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