Jana Nayagan producer Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions has broken his silence for the first time on the ongoing censor-court row over Thalapathy Vijay's film. The producer explained his side of the issues the film has faced with the censor board. He also reiterated that Thalapathy Vijay deserves a farewell rightfully earned after decades in the industry.
What's Happening
- In the video statement released, the producer says, "The film was submitted to the CBFC on December 18, 2025, which was viewed by the examining committee. On December 22, 2025, we received an email stating the film would be granted a UA 16+ certificate, subject to a few changes. We incorporated the suggested changes and resubmitted the film."
- He added that they were informed the film would be sent to the revising committee while they awaited formal certification.
- Venkat continued, "A few days before our planned release, on January 5, 2026, we were informed that the film had been referred to the revising committee based on one complaint. With time running out to approach the revising committee and without knowing who the complainant was, we approached the Honourable High Court."
- Elaborating on how emotional and challenging this period has been, the producer added, "This has been an extremely emotional and difficult moment for everyone who has poured their heart, soul, and years of hard work into this film. Above all, we firmly believe that Thalapathy Vijay sir deserves the farewell he has earned through decades of love from his fans."
- He also apologised to fans, distributors, and exhibitors who had pinned such high hopes on Jana Nayagan's release, stating that it was beyond their control.
About The Jana Nayagan Censor-Court Row
Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan has no release date until January 21, as the Madras High Court has posted the case for after the Pongal holidays, following a hearing on Friday (January 10).
On Friday morning, the Madras High Court ordered the Censor Board to issue a UA certificate once the filmmakers made the required modifications. The court also pulled up the board for entertaining such complaints against the film, calling it a "dangerous trend."
Soon after the Madras High Court verdict on the certificate, the Censor Board appealed against the order and sought an urgent hearing later that day. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the Jana Nayagan producers, while Additional Solicitor General (ASG) AR L Sundaresan argued on behalf of the Censor Board.
Sundaresan argued that the Censor Board had had no opportunity to file a counter-affidavit regarding the certification order. He further argued that the production house's petition did not challenge the Censor Board Chairman's decision to refer the film to a Revising Committee, yet the judge quashed that decision.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice questioned how a single judge could issue such an order without allowing the Censor Board to file a counter-affidavit.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, also appearing for the Censor Board, argued that the body has the right to refer the film to the Revising Committee.
Then, Mukul Rohatgi questioned how a member of the Examining Committee could file a complaint against the film.
The Chief Justice further raised concerns about the producer pressuring the court to grant certification. He said the producer should have waited for the certificate before announcing the release date.
The Jana Nayagan team and their legal counsel are currently discussing approaching the Supreme Court.
The Censor Board had earlier argued that Jana Nayagan features emblems related to the armed forces, which it claimed should be examined by experts.
Jana Nayagan was poised for a worldwide coordinated release on 9 January, with screenings across the US, the UK, Malaysia, and Canada.
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