3 min readMumbaiFeb 3, 2026 08:39 PM IST
Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, which was slated for a theatrical release during Pongal, has missed its deadline following a prolonged deadlock between the producers and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Despite court cases related to the issue, there is still no clarity on when the film will hit theatres. Adding to the uncertainty, the censor board has now refused to share any information regarding the certification process.
According to a report by The Hindu, when contacted to verify reports circulating within film circles that production house KVN Productions had agreed to refer the film to a review committee, CBFC Chennai Regional Officer D. Balamurali said that the law does not permit disclosure of any information related to the certification process.
The report quoted the official as saying: “I don’t have any information. Even if I do have, I cannot reveal it at this stage. All our examination process is confidential. We cannot reveal anything until a certificate is issued. The law prohibits sharing of any such information. Public will get to know only when the film is certified. At that time, we will communicate through our portal.”
Amid the continued uncertainty, trade analyst Ramesh Bala told India Today that the impact goes beyond the producers. Tamil Nadu theatres, he said, are facing losses exceeding Rs 100 crore due to the stalled release. Bala explained that Jana Nayagan was massively anticipated, as it is Vijay’s last film before stepping into politics, and a Pongal release would have made it a “jackpot” for theatre owners who were expecting bumper business.
“Pongal was supposed to witness the clash of Vijay’s Jana Nayagan and Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi. However, the film’s release was stalled. Vijay’s film could easily have made Rs 150-200 crore in Tamil Nadu alone. Parasakthi made Rs 55 crore in Tamil Nadu.” He added, “Since there is no projected revenue, the Tamil Nadu box office could have lost almost Rs 100 crore because of Jana Nayagan’s delay.” Echoing these concerns, Chennai theatre owner Ruban Mathivanan of GK Cinemas said that the delay of Jana Nayagan has disrupted the release schedule of Tamil films for the next few months.
With no clarity on the film’s release date after the Madras High Court recently referred the matter to a single judge for another hearing, Vijay has also addressed the issue. In an off-camera conversation with NDTV’s Rahul Kanwal, the actor discussed the Jana Nayagan censor row. The journalist shared that he was impressed by Vijay’s calmness and clarity during the interaction, but noted that Thalapathy does “feel bad” for his Jana Nayagan producer as the film remains unreleased. Vijay also said that he “expected” his films to be targeted because of his presence in politics.
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