The Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to the team behind Thalapathy Vijay’s much-anticipated film Jana Nayagan, refusing to entertain their plea and directing them to seek redress from the Madras High Court instead.
In proceedings held on Thursday, the apex court declined to admit the petition lodged by KVN Productions, the film’s production house. The producers were contesting a Division Bench ruling from the Madras High Court that had placed an interim stay on a single-judge order. That earlier directive had instructed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a UA certificate to the movie, provided specified changes were carried out.
The Supreme Court bench made it clear it was “not inclined to hear” the matter and instructed the parties to approach the Madras High Court for resolution. It further urged the High Court to decide the issue promptly, listing it for consideration on January 20.
The certification controversy has already forced the postponement of Jana Nayagan‘s intended Pongal release on January 9. Helmed by H. Vinoth and billed as Vijay’s final acting project ahead of his complete shift to politics, the film encountered obstacles when the CBFC forwarded it to a Revising Committee in response to objections. These primarily concerned the portrayal of emblems linked to the armed forces, which the board maintained required specialist evaluation.
On January 9, a single judge at the Madras High Court overturned the CBFC’s decision to refer the film for review and ordered the board to issue a UA certificate after implementing necessary edits. The judge also rebuked the CBFC for accepting such complaints, observing that it risked creating a “dangerous trend.” The same day, however, a Division Bench—responding to an urgent appeal by the CBFC—imposed an interim stay on that ruling, blocking certification.
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The CBFC had previously lodged a caveat with the Supreme Court to ensure it received a hearing before any unfavourable decision was issued.
With the dispute now returning to the Madras High Court, the film’s certification fate—and potential theatrical release—remains in limbo, as audiences and the industry await further developments.
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