Amid the ongoing censor certificate row surrounding Vijay's Jana Nayagan, the Madras High Court on Tuesday reserved its order in the matter, with the film's makers citing Dhurandhar 2 to justify announcing a release date before obtaining certification.
The court, however, observed that financial investment or release plans could not be grounds for seeking relief. The division bench also noted that the single judge, who had earlier directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a U/A certificate to Jana Nayagan, had "failed to examine" the case in depth.
Court Raises Concern Over Release Date Announcement
During the hearing, the High Court questioned KVN Productions for declaring Jana Nayagan's release date without securing a censor certificate.
Responding to the observation, senior advocate Satish Parasaran, appearing for the production house, argued that this was a common practice within the film industry.
Referring to Dhurandhar 2, which has already been scheduled for a March 19 release, Parasaran told the court, "It's not a practice to wait for a certificate to announce the release date. If you see Bollywood, they have already announced Dhurandhar 2." He maintained that producers often announce release dates while the certification process is still underway.
How The Jana Nayagan Censor Issue Unfolded
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan marks Vijay's final film before his full-fledged political entry and was originally slated for release on January 9 as a Pongal special. However, days before its planned release, the CBFC informed the makers that the chairman had decided to refer the film to a revising committee.
Following this, the producers moved the Madras High Court. On January 9, Justice PT Asha directed the CBFC to immediately grant the film a U/A 16+ certificate. The relief was short-lived, as Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, appearing for the CBFC, made an urgent mention before the Chief Justice. The division bench subsequently stayed the single judge's order and scheduled further hearings after the Pongal holidays.
Supreme Court's Intervention And Current Status
The makers later approached the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court division bench's stay. The top court declined to entertain the plea and asked the Madras High Court to decide the issue expeditiously, also questioning the pace of proceedings in the case.
After hearing detailed submissions on January 20, the Madras High Court reserved its order on Tuesday.
Also starring Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and Narain, Jana Nayagan is produced by KVN Productions and continues to await clarity on its censor certification and release.
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