Vijay's final film before his full-fledged political stint, Jana Nayagan, is still in the balance as the film is yet to be re-watched by the Central Board for Film Certification, following which it will receive a censorship certificate. The film's release is also being scheduled after the impending Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, which are scheduled to happen on April 23. Meanwhile, actor and Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan has now commented upon the CBFC's actions in the Jana Nayagan censorship row.
Speaking to Thanthi TV, he said, "The Jana Nayagan issue was not handled well at the censor board level. They're blaming the NDA, and that's not right. My film OG was given an 'A' certificate by the CBFC. My producers and my director said, 'You're a part of the NDA, and your film has been censored 'A'.' I asked him how he expected a 'U/A' certificate with all the violence portrayed. I told him a rule is a rule and that it cannot be tailor-made for those who are a part of the ruling government. They applied for re-censorship, hoping for a 'U/A' certificate. The CBFC still ended up giving an 'A' certificate. Even if I used my connections to influence the CBFC, they would clearly tell me that governance and film censorship cannot be linked and that they're separate bodies."
Further, he said that the makers of Jana Nayagan should have sorted a resolution out of court. "For one of my films, the CBFC asked me to change the lyrics for a song, and I had to do it. This happens to everybody. The makers of Jana Nayagan should not have approached the court for a solution. How can they blame the NDA government for this issue? If they had not gone to court, it would have been a completely different story. Once it goes to the court, the outcome is in the hands of the legal system," he explained.
Helmed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan also stars Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Priyamani, Pooja Hegde, and Narain, among others. There has also been persistent buzz that Jana Nayagan may be a remake of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 2023 Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari, a speculation strengthened by the trailer, though the makers have stopped short of confirming it.
Jana Nayagan has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander, with cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan and editing by Pradeep E Ragav. Along with KVN Productions, the film is co-produced by Jagadish Palanisamy and Lohith NK.
