Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan has hit a major roadblock just days before its grand release on January 9. With the film still awaiting its censor certificate, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has now informed the Madras High Court that the movie will be reviewed again - this time by a newly appointed committee.
Vijay's Final Film Faces Last-Minute Hurdles
The makers of Jana Nayagan had approached the Madras High Court after the film failed to receive its censor certificate despite being submitted more than a month ago. The matter, which was initially listed for hearing on January 6, has now been postponed to January 7 at 2.15 pm, further tightening the window for the makers ahead of the planned January 9 release.
During the hearing, the Central Board of Film Certification informed the court that the film would be reviewed once again by a newly appointed committee. The decision to defer the case by a day has heightened uncertainty around the film's pan-India rollout, as certification of the Tamil version is mandatory before the dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada can be cleared.
This development has come as a major blow to the production team, considering that the board had already suggested a list of cuts and muted lines on December 19.
About Jana Nayagan's Advance Bookings
Interestingly, the certification delay has not dampened audience enthusiasm, with advance bookings already booming in select regions.
In Karnataka, first-day first-show (FDFS) screenings from 6 am onwards at single screens such as Gopalan Grand Mall, V Cinema, Sri Vinayaka, Cinephile HSR Layout, and Brundha RGB are already sold out on BookMyShow.
Kerala is also witnessing strong early trends, with trade analysts noting healthy advance sales at single screens, reflecting Vijay's steadily growing fan base in the state.
However, metros, including Mumbai and Delhi, are yet to open bookings, as major multiplex chains like PVR and INOX require CBFC clearance before ticketing.
Despite this, overseas advances are reported to have crossed Rs 25 crore.
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan marks Vijay's final film before his full-time political entry. The star-studded ensemble includes Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priyamani, and Narain.
With just hours left for the next court hearing, all eyes are now on whether the fresh committee's review can be completed in time - or if Vijay's much-awaited swansong will be forced into an eleventh-hour postponement.
