Thalapathy Vijay’s much-anticipated film 'Jana Nayagan' has hit a massive roadblock, effectively crushing its chances for a Pongal release. During a tense hearing on January 9, the Madras High Court ordered the Censor Board (CBFC) to put a temporary freeze on the film’s certification. This decision stays an earlier order that would have granted the movie a U/A rating, meaning everything is on hold until the case is fully settled.
The division bench, led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, was particularly critical of the producers' timing. They questioned how the makers could announce a release date — initially set for today — before even having a certificate in their hands. "You can’t fix a date and then put pressure on the system," the bench remarked, suggesting that the urgency was self-created to force the court's hand.
On the other side of the aisle, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing KVN Productions, argued that the delay was unfair. He pointed out that the certification panel had already viewed the film and that the current drama stemmed from a lone board member’s complaint. However, the bench wasn't swayed, noting that the CBFC should have been given a fair window of at least a few days to raise their objections before the release.
Interestingly, the day began with a very different tone. Earlier that morning, Justice PT Asha had actually slammed the Censor Board, calling their last-minute hurdles a "dangerous trend." She suggested that the complaints against the film seemed like an "afterthought" intended to sabotage the release. But with the division bench now stepping in and scheduling the next hearing for January 21, the lucrative festival window is officially out of reach.
For fans waiting to see Vijay share the screen with Mamitha Baiju and Pooja Hegde, the wait has just become significantly longer. Directed by H Vinoth, 'Jana Nayagan' is now stuck in a legal limbo that won't see a resolution until late January at the earliest.
Also read: CBI summons Vijay in Karur stampede case
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