After months of uncertainty and repeated postponements, Vijay’s swansong, Jana Nayagan, finally has a release date. Sources confirmed to SCREEN that he political action drama will hit theatres worldwide on July 23, a day earlier than the July 24 window that was previously communicated to distributors. The team has reportedly informed overseas distributors to lock screens for the revised date, and pre-bookings have already opened in Australia and Europe, where early numbers are said to be strong.
The film had remained stalled for months due to certification issues with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). It was initially slated to arrive at the beginning of the year during the Pongal festival but was repeatedly pushed back as the certification process remained unresolved.
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Earlier, SCREEN had reported that the makers were eyeing a July release. Confirming the development, Suprith Mohan, business head and producer at KVN Productions, had told us, “We’ll be releasing the movie worldwide on July 24.” He had also confirmed that Jana Nayagan has now been awarded an ‘A’ certificate by the CBFC.
Why was Jana Nayagan delayed?
One of the most anticipated Indian films of the year, Jana Nayagan was billed as Vijay’s final screen appearance before his full-time political career. The film was originally scheduled to release on January 9, coinciding with Pongal and months ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. However, following months of delays, it is now set to release after Vijay has already assumed office as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
In a bid to ensure a timely release, the makers had submitted the film to the CBFC on December 18, 2025. After viewing the film, a five-member examining committee recommended a U/A 16+ certificate, subject to the implementation of certain cuts.
Once the suggested excisions were carried out, the film was resubmitted. However, just days before its scheduled release, the CBFC informed the producers that its chairperson had decided to refer the Vijay-starrer to the revising committee, bringing the certification process to an unexpected standstill. The makers immediately approached the Madras High Court but failed to secure immediate relief, forcing them to indefinitely postpone the release.
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The legal battle that followed kept the film in limbo for several months. While a single judge directed the CBFC to issue a U/A 16+ certificate at the earliest, a division bench led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava later set aside that order and sent back the matter to the single judge for fresh consideration.
With the film entangled in prolonged litigation, the makers eventually withdrew their writ petition against the CBFC. The certification dispute went on to become one of the most closely followed censor board cases in recent Tamil cinema before finally concluding with the film receiving an ‘A’ certificate.
Jana Nayagan leak
Amid the certification row, Jana Nayagan suffered another major setback when it was leaked online in April. Initial reports suggested that only a few scenes had surfaced on the internet, but it later emerged that the entire film, reportedly mounted on a budget exceeding Rs 500 crore, had been pirated and circulated across multiple platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube and several torrent websites.
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The Tamil Nadu Police later arrested multiple people in connection with the leak, including a freelance film editor. During proceedings before the Madras High Court, the prosecution informed the court that the pirated version had been viewed by nearly 1.2 crore people before authorities were able to block access.
Directed by H. Vinoth, Jana Nayagan stars Vijay alongside Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani.
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