- Jana Nayagan received an A certificate from CBFC pending certain cuts
- Film's final certificate expected to be issued by next week
- Release date tentatively set for July 24 or July 31
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's much-awaited film Jana Nayagan has been granted an A certificate (subject to certain cuts) by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Wednesday, sources told NDTV.
The edit list is expected to be uploaded on the CBFC website either today or on Monday, while the final certificate is likely to be issued next week.
The production is reportedly considering July 24 or July 31 as the film's release date.
Jana Nayagan Likely To Get CBFC Certificate Next Week
Earlier, sources close to the development told NDTV that Jana Nayagan is likely to receive its censor certificate next week, with the makers eyeing a theatrical release later this month.
Back in May, sources had confirmed to NDTV that the Revising Committee of the CBFC had cleared the film, paving the way for its release.
However, the certification process has seen several twists over the past few months.
Background
The film had initially completed the censor review process late last year. The Examining Committee reviewed the film in December 2025 and suggested certain cuts, which the makers said were implemented. Following this, the film was scheduled to release on January 9, 2026.
However, the certification process took a fresh turn after one member of the Examining Committee reportedly wrote to CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi objecting to some scenes in the film. After the objections were raised, the CBFC chief referred the matter to the Revising Committee for a fresh review.
In the meantime, the director of Jana Nayagan approached the Madras High Court and later the Supreme Court of India over the delay in certification.
Sources had also said earlier that the certificate could not be issued because of the Model Code of Conduct. The producers have been awaiting the final censor certificate before officially announcing the release schedule.
The film has attracted significant attention as it features sitting Chief Minister Vijay in the lead role, making it one of the most closely watched Tamil film releases in recent years.
Producer On Delay
Earlier, Jana Nayagan producer and KVN Productions founder Venkat K Narayana spoke to NDTV about the delay in the film's release.
Speaking about the film's release timeline, Venkat said, "We are all waiting for Jana Nayagan to hit the theatres. We have a process to follow. We are awaiting the certificate from the CBFC. Once they give their final nod, we will immediately take it to the theatres."
He also reflected on how Vijay's political journey had added a new meaning to the film's title.
Venkat said, "In fact, all the fans are asking the same thing. They have also requested that the title card be changed from 'Thalapathy Vijay' to 'Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu'. When we started the movie, we didn't know that we would have to go through all this. In a way, if you see, it is a happy moment that Vijay sir has become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and truly the Jana Nayagan of TN. Maybe it is destined that this movie has to be released after he becomes CM."
Explaining the delay, he said, "We applied for the censor certificate sometime in December 2025, and the examining committee watched the movie. They cleared it and informed us that we would get a U/A 16+ certification."
He added, "Subsequently, when we were expecting the certificate, instead of receiving it, we got an email saying that there was a complaint against the movie and therefore they had to withhold the certificate and refer it to the revision committee. At that point in time, we had to approach a court of law, saying that we hadn't even released the movie, so how could there be a complaint?"
The producer further said, "There are also enough judgements stating that public complaints should not be entertained, since the board is the final authority in taking a decision. But we learned in court that the complainant was one of the examining committee members himself, who had earlier consented, and therefore we had to go to the revision committee. We applied to the revision committee immediately after that and since then the process has been ongoing. We need to follow all the formalities to release the movie in theatres, so we are awaiting the certificate."
About Jana Nayagan
Directed by H. Vinoth and produced by KVN Productions, Jana Nayagan also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol and Mamitha Baiju.
The film was also recently leaked online before its release. According to PTI, a freelance assistant editor and several others were arrested in connection with the leak.
