The film Jana Nayagan, which marks the final performance of actor Vijay, has entered an indefinite production halt after the Madras High Court today repealed its previous directive to the Central Board of Film Certification to issue a U/A 16+ rating for the movie.
Chief Justice M.M. Shrivastava and his Division Bench determined that the single-judge bench had executed its powers improperly by approving certification before the CBFC had completed its response time. The case has been sent back to court for a new hearing, which will cancel all current certifications and initiate a new approval process.
The CBFC had previously raised concerns about content that would damage religious sentiments and present the Indian Army in an improper manner. The CBFC Chairman assigned the film to a nine-member revising committee on January 6 for additional evaluations. The court observed that KVN Productions submitted a petition with technical problems to obtain direct certification, rather than contesting the committee referral first, as per reports online.
The film, which was set to debut in theaters on January 9, 2026, for the Pongal holiday, has now been postponed without a new release date. The industry sources who speculate about a May 1 release date need to base their predictions on the results of the new hearing, together with the following CBFC assessment.
Political analysts warn that further delays could push the release into the Model Code of Conduct period, which will start for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in April–May 2026, creating complications for the politically themed film. The court has allowed producers to modify their petition, which challenges the CBFC’s January 6 order, by proceeding with a direct challenge.
