‘Vijay Deserves The Farewell He Earned’: Jana Nayagan Producer On CBFC Legal Battle

Producer Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions has broken his silence for the first time since Jana Nayagan became embroiled in a legal battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) at the Madras High Court. Calling the situation “extremely difficult,” Venkat described the episode as emotionally draining, while stressing that Vijay deserves a fitting send-off after decades of contributions to cinema.

In a video message addressing the controversy, the producer walked through the chain of events that led to the court proceedings, underlining how the uncertainty has impacted the team behind the film.

How the Jana Nayagan certification row unfolded

Venkat explained that Jana Nayagan had initially cleared the CBFC process after the makers complied with the changes suggested by the examining committee. “The film was submitted to the CBFC on 18 December 2025, which was viewed by the examining committee. And on 22 December 2025, we received an email stating the film would be granted a UA 16+ certificate, subject to a few changes. We incorporated the suggested changes and submitted the film,” he said.

The trouble began while the team was waiting for the final certificate. According to Venkat, they were suddenly informed that the film would be sent to a revising committee. “A few days before our planned release, on 5 January 2026, we were informed that the film had been referred to the revising committee based on one complaint. With the time running out to approach the revising committee and without knowing who the complainant was, we approached the Honourable High Court,” he said.

Following hearings held on January 6 and 7, Justice PT Asha directed the CBFC to issue certification to the film on January 9. However, the relief was short-lived. Within hours of the CBFC challenging the order, a division bench comprising Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan granted an interim stay on the single judge’s directive. The case has now been listed for January 21.

The makers had been gearing up for a January 14 theatrical release, plans that were abruptly derailed by the legal setback.

‘Vijay deserves the farewell he has earned’

With the film’s release now uncertain — and political sensitivities heightened ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections — Venkat admitted the situation has taken an emotional toll. “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.

The producer also extended an apology to fans, distributors and exhibitors who had pinned their hopes on the film’s release, describing the ongoing sub judice matter as ‘beyond (their) control.’

Starring Vijay alongside Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol, Jana Nayagan currently remains without a confirmed release date. Vijay, meanwhile, is set to contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections under the banner of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).