H Vinoth says he lacks the ‘courage’ to reveal what happened to his film Jana Nayagan with Tamil Nadu CM Vijay

Vijay's final film Jana Nayagan has been stuck with the CBFC for over five months. Here's how director H Vinoth reacted when asked about its release.

H Vinoth’s Jana Nayagan, starring Tamil Nadu chief minister and actor Vijay, Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol and Pooja Hegde, has been stuck with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for over five months now. At a promotional interaction for Pandiraaj’s Parimala & Co, the filmmaker was asked about the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s final film. Here’s how he reacted.

H Vinoth's Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan has been stuck with the CBFC for 5 months now.

H Vinoth on Jana Nayagan’s release

Vinoth joined Pandiraaj, Pa Ranjith, Sandy Master and Santhosh on SS Music for a promotional interview about Parimala & Co. At one point in the conversation, the anchor said, “Tamil Nadu has already asked you this question; now I’m asking it too. When can we expect Jana Nayagan to release?” As the audience cheered, Vinoth cryptically replied, “That is not up to me. I don’t even have the courage to tell you the truth. Even if I had the courage, you wouldn’t have the courage to share it.” Even as Santhosh and Ranjith cracked up at that, the anchor awkwardly wished him all the best.

What is happening with Jana Nayagan?

There has been a lot of confusion about Jana Nayagan’s release after BookMyShow listed the film for release in June, and District specifically listed a June 19 release date. This made fans hopeful that the film would finally be released around Vijay’s 52nd birthday on June 22. However, the film’s producer, Venkat K Narayana of KVN Productions, indicated that CBFC has yet to certify the film.

Minister for Film Technology and Cinematograph Act in Tamil Nadu, Rajmohan Arumugam, also said, “The film can be released only after obtaining censor certification. If the censor certificate is granted, we can release it. The related work is also underway.” He also added, “This is not just about the film Jana Nayagan. We cannot do such things to any film for political reasons or any other reasons. It can only be released after all required certifications are properly and legally obtained. The work for that is currently in progress.”

Jana Nayagan was supposed to be released in theatres in January, ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections, for Pongal. However, the film, touted as Vijay’s last, was postponed at the last minute due to a delay in CBFC certification. After a member of the examining committee filed a complaint, the film was sent to the revising committee at the last minute. Venkat approached the courts but received no relief. The film was leaked online in April, and nine arrests were made.