'Jana Nayagan' certification row | Film producers to withdraw case; send movie to CBFC's revising panel

Chennai: With the legal battle not yielding desired results, the producers of Jana Nayagan, the cinematic swansong of popular Tamil actor Vijay, have decided to send the movie to the Revising Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for its perusal.

The day also saw the producers moving the Madras High Court registry for withdrawing the writ petition filed against the CBFC.

If the Revising Committee clears the movie – the Examining Committee had recommended U/A 16+ certificate – KVN Productions, which bankrolled the film, is eyeing a February 20 release, sources told DH.

Though there was no official confirmation, sources said the movie is being sent to the EC after the producers decided not to continue the legal fight and slug it out with the CBFC.

It is understood that the producers decided to go back to the CBFC due to pressure from an OTT platform that bought the movie and the fear that the film might come under the scrutiny of the Election Commission of India (ECI) once the Model Code of Conduct for the April-May Tamil Nadu polls come into effect.

Made to give the elevation that Vijay needs before his electoral debut in the assembly polls, Jana Nayagan seems to contain politically loaded dialogues. The movie was to be released on January 9 but the producers knocked at the doors of the Madras High Court on January 6 after the CBFC referred the movie to the RC.

Though a single judge of the Madras High Court on January 9 directed the CBFC to certify the film, the Censor Board challenged the verdict before a division bench, which granted a stay. The producers went to the Supreme Court which refused to interfere and asked them to go back to the High Court – the latter after quashing the single judge order asked the production house to go back to the judge if they wish so for a fresh hearing.

The production house had said it applied for a CBFC certificate on December 18 and made 27 cuts and modifications recommended by the examining committee. But the certificate was withheld due to a complaint by a single member of the examining committee which reviewed the movie.

The movie's delayed release stirred a major political controversy with several opposition leaders, including the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, blaming the BJP government.

The movie had its gala audio launch in the presence of 80,000 Vijay fans from across the world on December 27 in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.