4 min readKochiMar 17, 2026 09:20 AM IST
With the Election Commission (EC) announcing the date for the state Assembly poll in Tamil Nadu, a fresh shadow of uncertainty has descended over director H Vinoth’s Thalapathy Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, which has been mired in controversies since early this year.
While the movie has already been reeling under the delay in receiving a green signal from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the announcement of the election date has dampened its prospects further, as the authorities may very well object to Jana Nayagan’s release during the poll season, considering the film’s purported political themes and the fact that Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) are running in the elections.
Jana Nayagan to be screened before CBFC’s revising committee
Amid all this, the movie is all set to be screened before the CBFC’s revising committee in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday, March 17. According to an NDTV report, the review meeting — originally scheduled to take place on March 9, but was postponed after one of the members of the committee fell ill — will be presided over by ace Kannada filmmaker TS Nagabharana, a member of the board.
Considering that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force as soon as the EC announced that the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections would take place on April 23, one cannot rule out the possibility of the film not receiving a nod from the CBFC to hit the screens until the poll season is over. As a result, Jana Nayagan’s future now hinges completely on what the revising committee decides and the recommendations it makes.
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Watch Jana Nayagan trailer here:
Delay in Jana Nayagan release
Touted as Vijay’s swansong before his full-fledged political entry, Jana Nayagan was supposed to hit the screens on January 9, coinciding with the Pongal season. As per this plan, the makers submitted the political action drama to the CBFC for certification on December 18, 2025. Subsequently, a five-member examining committee of the board watched the movie and recommended the issuance of a U/A 16+ certificate to it once the excisions they mandated had been carried out. The makers followed the instructions and then resubmitted the film.
However, days before Jana Nayagan’s scheduled release date, it received an official communication from the CBFC’s regional officer stating that the board’s chairperson had decided to refer the film to a revising committee. Although the makers moved the Madras High Court immediately, they initially failed to obtain relief, prompting them to postpone Jana Nayagan’s release indefinitely.
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While a single judge then directed the CBFC to immediately grant a U/A 16+ certificate to the film, a division bench of the Madras High Court, headed by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, set aside the initial order. The division bench then sent the matter back to the single judge.
As the movie faced further delay, the makers withdrew the writ petition filed against the CBFC challenging its decision to refer the movie to a revising committee. Thus, the matter eventually returned to the board, which now has to make a final decision.
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