BREAKING | Supreme Court To Hear Vijay-Starrer 'Jana Nayagan' Movie Producer's Plea For CBFC Clearance On January 15
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
13 Jan 2026 9:15 PM IST
The Supreme Court will hear on January 15 the plea seeking CBFC clearance for the Tamil film 'Jana Nayagan' on January 15.
A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih will hear the petition filed by the film's producer KVN Productions LLP, against the Madras High Court division bench's order which stayed the single bench's direction to the Central Board of Film Certification to immediately certify the film.
The film, touted to be the last film of actor Vijay, who has now plunged into electoral politics by floating his own party TVK, and announced as a Pongal release on January 9, ran into trouble as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Chairperson decided on January 6 to refer the film to the Revising Committee. This was after the Examining Committee of the CBFC's Chennai Regional Office agreed to give U/A 16+ certification for the film, subject to certain edits.
Challenging the CBFC's decision, the producer approached the High Court.
On January 9, a single bench of the High Court, allowing the producer's plea, directed the CBFC to issue the certificate immediately. However, on the same day, the CBFC moved an urgent appeal before the division bench, which heard it the same day and stayed the single bench's direction. The division bench adjourned the matter to January 20 for further hearing.
The division bench observed that the single bench passed the order without giving sufficient opportunity to the CBFC to respond. The writ petition, filed on January 6, was heard on January 7.
The producer, in their writ petition before the High Court, submitted that, after the film was initially submitted for certification in December 2025, the CBFC suggested some changes. Accepting the CBFC's proposals, a revised version was submitted on December 24, 2025. On December 29, 2025, the Regional Office of the CBFC at Chennai informed the producer that the revised version would be certified. However, the producers could not complete the final uploading process of the film due to some technical glitches in the portal, and they informed the CBFC's office regarding this.
On January 5, they received a communication that the CBFC Chairperson has decided to refer the film to a Revising Committee under Rule 24 of the Rules on account of a complaint received with reference to the content (hurting religious sensibilities and portrayal of armed forces). The complaint was filed by one of the members of the Examining Committee, which had initially cleared the film. The order passed by the Chairperson was uploaded on January 6.
The single bench (Justice PT Asha) of the High Court held that the Chairperson's decision to suo motu refer the film to the revising committee, after the Board accepted the recommendation of the Examining Committee, was unsustainable. The single bench also held that the complaint filed by a member of the Examining Committee, who had initially decided to certify the film, was untenable. "Such a volte face by a member of an Examining committee who had made a recommendation after viewing and assimilating the film would give rise to a dangerous trend of members reneging on their recommendation and the sanctity placed on the decision of the Examining Committee of the CBFC would stand eroded," the single bench observed.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan noted that the Chairperson's order passed on January 6 was not challenged in the writ petition. The division bench also observed during the hearing that the producers put unnecessary pressure on the Court for an urgent decision by saying that the movie was slated for release on January 9. The division bench questioned the producers for announcing the release date before getting the CBFC clearance.
Case : KVN Productions LLP v. Central Board of Film Certification Diary No.1894/2026