Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s long-delayed film Jana Nayagan has finally been certified ‘A’ (restricted to adult audience) by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), ending a seven-month-long tussle.
The certificate was issued by the CBFC’s Bengaluru regional office on July 9 after the makers made the 12 modifications suggested during the certification process.
The changes included muting certain abuses and removing references to Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in both the film’s audio and visuals.
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan was originally slated for a January 9 release ahead of Pongal, just months before Vijay’s maiden electoral contest. The film was submitted to the CBFC on December 19 last year, but remained stuck in a prolonged certification process.
After the makers implemented modifications suggested by the examining committee and resubmitted the film, they were reportedly informed that it was suitable for a U/A certificate. However, the process stalled after a member of the examining committee reportedly raised an internal objection, alleging certain portions of the film could hurt public sentiments.
Following the objection, the producers were advised to submit the film to the revising committee.
On January 6, KVN Productions approached the Madras High Court seeking directions to expedite the certification process. The legal battle later reached the Supreme Court before the producers withdrew their petition and opted to place the film before the revising committee.
The controversy deepened in April when a high-definition copy of the uncertified film leaked online. During proceedings before the Madras High Court, prosecutors said the pirated version had been viewed nearly 1.2 crore times before access was blocked.
Tamil Nadu Police later arrested multiple people in connection with the leak, including a freelance film editor who allegedly sourced the footage from an editing facility.
Jana Nayagan is expected to release in theatres on July 24. Besides Vijay, the film also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and Mamitha Baiju.