Cinematographer PC Sreeram has come out with strong words against the postponement of the release of Vijay's final film, Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth, due to a delay in its censorship clearance. “The might of the Indian state is fighting over one cinema. What a disgrace,” wrote the cinematographer on X. In a subsequent tweet, he offered further clarity about what he meant. “My tweets about Jana Nayagan is not about one film but the future misuse of government agencies in all aspects,” he wrote. He added that the misuse thereof threatens democracy, whether it is done by the state government or the Centre. “This is the land of Mahatma Gandhi, not Donald Trump,” he wrote, referring to the democratic values in India that have long been in existence.
There has been much discourse over how there is a political ploy, involving the right-wing groups, in ensuring that Vijay’s final film does not release in time, even though many BJP members refute it and claim that it is part of the board's standard procedure. Amid the debate, the Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by the film's producer, KVN Productions of Venkat K Narayana, to have it issue the censorship clearance. The appellate court has put the onus to decide on the issue back on the Madras High Court, asking it to make the final call by January 20.
Also starring Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, Narain, Prakash Raj, and Sunil, among others, the film was originally supposed to release on January 09, coinciding with the Pongal festival.
