Chennai, Jan 9 (NationPress) The Madras High Court has mandated the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to urgently provide a U/A 16+ certificate for 'Jana Nayagan', a film starring Vijay, which saw its theatrical release postponed owing to censorship delays.

Directed by H. Vinoth, 'Jana Nayagan' successfully completed its post-production and was submitted to the CBFC in December.

During the review process, one member of the examining committee raised concerns that certain scenes could be deemed disrespectful to religious sentiments and negatively depicted the Armed Forces. These issues were brought to the attention of the CBFC chairperson. Nevertheless, the other four members of the committee suggested granting a U/A 16+ certificate, contingent upon specific edits.

The film’s producers made the recommended alterations.

However, the dissenting member argued that their concerns were not sufficiently addressed.

In response to this appeal, the CBFC chairperson forwarded the film to a revising committee, which resulted in a delay of the censor certificate issuance and the movie’s release.

Justice P.D. Asha, in delivering the judgment, noted that upon reviewing the records, it was “evident that the complainant’s issue seems to be an afterthought”.

The court warned that considering such objections at a later stage could foster a “dangerous trend” that might disrupt the statutory certification process.

The High Court also determined that the CBFC chairperson’s letter dated January 6, which referred the film to the revising committee, was beyond jurisdiction. It highlighted that once the examining committee endorsed a U/A certificate with modifications, and the filmmakers complied, the certificate should have been issued without further delay.

The judge concluded that the authority to mandate a review “was relinquished” once the chairperson indicated that certification would proceed, subject to cuts. Following this, the CBFC lodged an appeal against the High Court’s ruling, seeking a stay.

Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan presented the issue to Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, requesting an urgent hearing.

The Chief Justice-led bench signaled that the appeal would be addressed once formally filed, potentially later in the day; the CBFC requested that the matter be reviewed on Monday (January 12).

'Jana Nayagan' showcases Vijay in the lead role, alongside Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj, Bobby Deol, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and Priyamani.

This film is particularly notable as it marks Vijay’s final cinematic release prior to his full-time political involvement.

Simultaneously, another significant Pongal release, 'Parasakthi', featuring Sivakarthikeyan, is also facing censorship challenges, with the CBFC suggesting 38 cuts. Director Sudha Kongara has reportedly rejected the edits and is likely to approach the revising committee.