Madras HC directs CBFC to issue censor certificate to 'Jana Nayagan,' film board to appeal

The Madras High Court on Friday directed the CBFC to grant a censor certificate to actor-turned-politician Vijay’s upcoming film 'Jana Nayagan', setting aside the board's directive to refer the matter to a review committee.

Allowing the plea of KVN Productions, which has produced the film, seeking a direction to CBFC authorities to issue a censor certificate, Justice PT Asha said that once the board had decided to grant the certificate, the Chairperson had no power to send the matter to a Review Committee.

The film board immediately preferred an appeal and it was allowed by a Division Bench led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava.

When the matter came up hearing before the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, ASG Sundaresan and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta (appearing through video conferencing) outlined the grounds for appeal by the CBFC.

Sundaresan submitted that the single judge has ordered the issuance of a censor certificate forthwith. Although the matter was argued, time was not given for the film board to file a counter-affidavit.

SG Mehta said the chairperson of CBFC had to review the decision to grant the certificate and send the matter to the review panel on the grounds of references to the Army and sentiments related to religion.

The law officers representing the film certification board wanted the appeal to be taken up immediately. Later, the chief justice-led bench agreed to hear the appeal immediately.

Besides 'Jana Nayagan,' which is Vijay's last movie before his full-fledged political plunge, Tamil Nadu eagerly awaits the release of another politically loaded film 'Parasakthi,' which captures the language struggle of the 1960's and said to reflect shades of the Dravidian ideology.

While Parasakthi's screening has been cleared by the censor board, it is not clear if the TVK chief Vijay-starrer movie would hit the screens ahead of the harvest festival Pongal, next week.

In her order, Justice Asha said the censor board had decided to grant a censor certificate to the film, 'Jana Nayagan' and sent a communication to the producer on December 22, 2025.

Once the board has taken a decision and sent a communication, the Chairperson has no power to send the matter to the Review Committee based on a subsequent complaint by one of the panel members. Therefore, the chairperson had exercised his power without jurisdiction, the judge added.

The judge said, exercising powers under Article 226 of the Constitution, the court has powers to mould the relief sought by setting aside the letter dated January 6, by which the matter was referred to the Review Committee.

The judge said the argument of ASG Sundaresan that the petitioner can only challenge the letter dated January 6 and cannot file a petition seeking issuance of mandamus (direction) cannot be sustained.

While the producers had planned to release the movie on January 9, it had to approach the High Court after it was alleged that a complaint had been lodged against the yet-to-be released movie over hurting religious sentiments.

Subsequently, after hearing the matter, the HC had on January 7 reserved its order on the petition seeking a direction to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to give a censor certificate under 'UA 16+' category to the much-anticipated film.

On January 6, when the plea came up for hearing, Justice P T Asha had orally asked the CBFC to produce on January 7, a copy of the "complaint" that claimed the film "hurts religious sentiments."

The filmmakers had submitted that the movie had been referred for "review" after an initial recommendation for U/A certification.

Even though a release date has been fixed for the film as January 9, it can only proceed legally, the Censor Board had told the court.

Directed by H Vinoth, the film "Jana Nayagan" stars actors Vijay, Prakash Raj, Pooja Hegde, Mamitha Baiju, among others.

The film team, having completed all work, sent it for censorship on December 18.

Subsequently, on December 19, the censor board that viewed the film reportedly advised the removal of some scenes and muting of some dialogues.

Even after changes suggested by the censor board members were made, the censor certificate has still not been issued, the petitioner movie production house had submitted.