The Madras High Court on January 20, 2026, resumed hearing in the Jana Nayagan case involving actor Thalapathy Vijay, reserving its order on an appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) against a single judge’s direction to grant certification to the film.

The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan.

Background Of The Censor Dispute

On January 9, Justice PT Asha of the Madras High Court ruled in favour of the film and directed the CBFC to forthwith grant censor clearance to Jana Nayagan. On the same day, the CBFC challenged the order by filing a writ appeal against the grant of a U/A certificate.

Following this, the division bench stayed the single judge’s order.

The film’s producers later approached the Supreme Court, challenging the stay. However, the apex court declined to entertain the plea and directed the producers to approach the Madras High Court division bench. It also instructed the High Court to hear the matter on January 20.

Court’s Observations During Hearing

Appearing for the CBFC, Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan argued the case, while senior advocate Satish Parasaran represented KVN Productions.

During the hearing, the High Court observed that the makers could not seek relief solely on the ground that they had invested ₹500 crore in the film.

The bench also noted that the single judge who initially directed the CBFC to grant a U/A certificate had “failed to examine” the matter in sufficient depth.

“The single judge ought to have given CBFC at least minimum time to file counter... The producer can’t seek relief citing release date and Rs 500 crore investment,” the court said.

High Court Reserves Order

After hearing submissions from both sides, the Madras High Court reserved its order on the CBFC’s appeal against the single judge’s directive to issue a U/A certificate to Jana Nayagan.

Producer Details Timeline Of Certification Delay

Earlier, Jana Nayagan producer Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions released a video statement outlining the sequence of events related to the certification delay.

“The film was submitted to the CBFC on December 18, 2025, and was viewed by the examining committee. On December 22, 2025, we received an email stating the film would be granted a U/A 16+ certificate, subject to a few changes. We incorporated the suggested changes and resubmitted the film,” he said.

He added, “A few days before our planned release, on January 5, 2026, we were informed that the film had been referred to the revising committee based on one complaint. With time running out to approach the revising committee and without knowing who the complainant was, we approached the honourable High Court.”

‘An Extremely Emotional Moment,’ Says Producer

Venkat Narayana described the situation as deeply distressing for the team behind the film.

“This has been an extremely emotional and difficult moment for everyone who has poured their heart, soul, and years of hard work into this film. Above all, we firmly believe that Thalapathy Vijay sir deserves the farewell he has earned through decades of love from his fans,” he said.