The certification impasse surrounding Vijay’s Jana Nayagan is set to move to the Supreme Court, with the apex court reportedly scheduled to hear the matter on January 15. The film, directed by H Vinoth, has been awaiting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), leading to the postponement of its planned Pongal release.
According to a LiveLaw report, the plea has been filed by the film’s producers, KVN Productions LLP, seeking directions for the CBFC to issue a certificate. The case will be heard by a bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih.
Jana Nayagan has drawn particular attention, as it is Vijay’s final film before he turns his full attention to politics. Initially slated to release on January 9, the film could not make it to theatres due to unresolved certification issues.
The film was submitted to the CBFC for certification in December 2025. Following scrutiny, the Examining Committee reportedly agreed to grant the film a U/A 16+ certificate, subject to certain modifications. The makers accepted the suggested edits and resubmitted the revised version on December 24. However, on January 5, the producers were informed that the CBFC Chairperson had referred the film to a Revising Committee after a complaint was raised.
The complaint alleged that Jana Nayagan hurt religious sentiments and portrayed the armed forces in a negative manner. This development triggered a legal battle, with the makers approaching the Madras High Court.
On January 9, a single bench of the Madras High Court directed the CBFC to issue the certificate without delay. The CBFC challenged this order the same day, following which a division bench stayed the directive, observing that the certification body had not been given adequate time to present its case. The matter before the Madras High Court is now scheduled for hearing on January 20, even as the Supreme Court prepares to examine the issue earlier, on January 15.
Reports also suggest that the Jana Nayagan team has engaged as many as seven senior advocates to represent them before the Supreme Court.
Jana Nayagan features a large ensemble cast including Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Priyamani, Pooja Hegde and Narain, among others. There has been sustained speculation that the film is a remake of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Bhagavanth Kesari (2023), a theory further fuelled by its trailer, though the makers have not officially confirmed this.
The film has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and editing by Pradeep E Ragav. The film is co-produced by Jagadish Palanisamy and Lohith NK.