- Tamil Nadu CM Vijay's film Jana Nayagan is likely to get censor certificate this weekend
- The revising committee of CBFC has reportedly cleared the film for release
- Certificate delay was due to the Model Code of Conduct restrictions
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's film Jana Nayagan is likely to receive its censor certificate this weekend, sources told NDTV. Sources said the Revising Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has cleared the movie, paving the way for its release.
Background
The development comes after the revising committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly cleared the film.
The film had run into certification issues despite initially completing the censor review process late last year. The Examining Committee had reviewed the film in December 2025 and suggested certain cuts, which the makers said were implemented. Following this, the movie 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 said the certificate was also not issued earlier because of the Model Code of Conduct. The producers are now awaiting the final censor certificate before officially announcing the release schedule.
The film has drawn significant public 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.
Jana Nayagan's Producer On Why Vijay's Film Faced Delays
Vijay's Jana Nayagan has been facing an unexpected delay in its release, leaving fans eagerly waiting for an official update. Addressing the concerns, the film's producer and KVN Productions founder Venkat K Narayana recently shared details about the hold-up during a conversation with NDTV.
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 the political journey of Vijay has unexpectedly added a new layer of 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 reason behind the delay, Venkat revealed that the film's certification process had initially moved smoothly.
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."
However, things took an unexpected turn soon after.
Venkat continued, "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 stated that the complaint reportedly came from within the examining committee itself, which complicated the process.
He 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."
