Madras HC Sets Aside Single Judge Order Directing Censor Certificate To 'Jana Nayagan'
Madras High Court set aside a single judge’s order that directed the grant of a censor certificate to actor Vijay’s film Jana Nayagan.
Published : January 27, 2026 at 11:07 AM IST
Madras: The Madras High Court on Tuesday set aside a single judge’s order that directed the grant of a censor certificate to actor Vijay’s film Jana Nayagan.
The matter came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice M M Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Muruga, who stated that the single judge, Justice P T Asha, should have given time to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for filing counter affidavit.
The High Court also granted liberty to the producer of the film to approach the single judge for early disposal of the case. "A single judge is at liberty to decide whether the decision taken to refer the matter to the revising panel is correct or not on 'Jana Nayagan'," the High Court observed.
The ruling virtually makes the fate of the film, originally slated for a Pongal release earlier this month, uncertain. The film is stated to be Vijay's last, ahead of his full-fledged political entry.
The Bench on January 20 reserved orders on the appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification, against an order passed by Justice Asha, after hearing elaborate arguments from both sides.
Slated to be the final movie of Actor Vijay before his official entry into politics, Jana Nayagan was caught in a legal web after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) delayed its certification.
As the movie producers approached the court against the delay, a single bench, on January 9, directed the CBFC to certify the film. The CBFC appealed to the division bench, which, on the same day, stayed the single bench's order.
The judge had also quashed a communication dated January 5 from the Regional Officer, informing the producer of the film that, based on a complaint, the Chairperson of the Censor Board had referred the matter to the revising committee. However, on the same day, the First Bench stayed her order.
Originally, on December 22, 2025, the producer received a communication from the Regional Officer from Chennai informing that the 5-member examining committee, which viewed the film, had recommended the screening of the movie and issuance of a censor certificate.
Thereafter, based on a complaint from one of the members of the examining committee, the Chairperson had decided to put on hold the December 22 communication and referred the matter to the revising committee. This was communicated to the producer of the movie on January 5.
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