Vijay’s Jana Nayagan release to get delayed; Madras High Court stays order allowing film’s release

Chennai: Actor Vijay’s cinematic swansong, Jana Nayagan, continues to face trouble with the Madras High Court on Tuesday setting aside the order of a single judge who directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue U/A 16+ certificate to the movie. The first division bench of Chief Justice M M Shrivastava sent the case back to the single judge, justice P T Asha, for fresh hearing contending that the principles of natural justice were not followed. 

With the mediate release of the movie, made on a budget of a whooping Rs 500 crores, ruled out in the wake of Tuesday’s judgement, the producers have two options – continue to fight it out legally or withdraw the petition and go before the Revising Committee of the CBFC to get clearance by following due procedure. 

There is also a question mark on whether the movie can be released once the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into force in Tamil Nadu as Jana Nayagan was made to give the elevation that Vijay needs before his political debut in the April-May assembly elections. The movie is said to contain numerous politically-loaded dialogues and serve as a campaign material for Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), its release once the dates for the elections are announced is doubtful. 

Justice Asha had on January 9 asked the CBFC to issue U/A 16+ certificate to Jana Nayagan after the producers demanded the movie’s immediate release but the order was stayed by the division bench the same evening. After hearing both sides, the division bench of justices Shrivastava and Murugan reserved the order last week.

The bench said the writ petition filed by KVN Productions was not maintainable as it sought a direction to the CBFC to issue the certificate for the move. The CBFC had decided on January 5 to refer the movie to the Revising Committee after the Examining Committee decided to issue a U/A 16+ certificate. 

However, the bench did not dismiss the writ petition and instead gave KVN Productions to amend its prayer and directed the Registry to restore the writ petition and list it for fresh hearing before the single judge. 

“If the respondents suitably amend the writ petition, the learned single judge may afford reasonable opportunity to the CBFC to file a counter affidavit and thereafter, the parties may pray for expeditious disposal of the writ petition on its own merits,” the judges wrote in their order.