Highlights:
- Vijay has reportedly restarted efforts to release Jana Nayagan
- Producer Venkat K Narayana was asked to return from Cannes
- The film has been stuck with the CBFC since December
- Jana Nayagan faced delays over political and sensitive scenes
- The film also suffered a major HD print leak in April
Tamil Nadu chief minister and actor Joseph Vijay is reportedly turning his attention back to Jana Nayagan after assuming office. The film, described as Vijay’s farewell movie, has remained stalled for months after facing issues with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Sources said Vijay has instructed producer Venkat K Narayana to return to Chennai and focus on the film’s release. Venkat was attending the Cannes Film Festival and is now reportedly heading back following the latest developments around the movie.
Sources said the makers are once again trying to secure the required approvals for the film. Jana Nayagan has reportedly been lying with the revising committee for several weeks. Once certification is granted, the team is expected to move ahead with release plans.
Jana Nayagan has faced delays since December after the CBFC reportedly denied clearance over certain scenes. According to reports, some parts of the movie were considered capable of hurting public sentiments. The film’s political content was also reportedly viewed as sensitive because it could influence the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The elections were important for Vijay because he contested them for the first time as the chief of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). He later won the elections and became chief minister.
After the CBFC objected to certain scenes, the makers approached the court and requested a censor certificate before the movie’s planned January 9 release. The issue later turned into a month-long legal dispute.
The makers eventually withdrew the case against the CBFC and agreed to submit the movie to the revising committee. Since then, there has been no official update on the certification process.
There were also reports that the film might release in theaters on May 8. However, the movie still has not received certification, and the makers have not announced a fresh release date.
Apart from certification delays, Jana Nayagan also faced trouble after an HD print of the movie leaked online on April 9.
Following the leak, the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Police arrested nine people, including three key accused. Reports said one of the main accused was a freelance editor who illegally accessed the footage and uploaded it online.
After the leak, editor Pradeep E Ragav was suspended by the editors’ association. The association stated that he was not directly involved in the leak but had violated its bylaws by working with a freelance editor who was not part of the official film body.
Produced by KVN Productions, Jana Nayagan is a political action drama with a reported budget of Rs 500 crore.
The film stars Vijay alongside Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj, Bobby Deol, and Gautham Menon.
With fresh efforts now reportedly underway and the producer returning to Chennai, the delayed release of Jana Nayagan has once again become a major topic of discussion.
