‘Jana Nayagan leak not an accident’: Kamal Haasan calls Vijay film's piracy 'attack on art', takes dig at censor board

Kamal Haasan has thrown his weight behind Vijay after the actor's final film, Jana Nayagan, was leaked online amid tussle with the CBFC.

The leak of Vijay’s final, unreleased film, Jana Nayagan, onto piracy websites has shaken the film industry. Since yesterday, when HD prints of the film first appeared online, many from the Tamil and Telugu industries have condemned the leak. Veteran actor Kamal Haasan has now slammed the leak, indirectly calling the CBFC responsible.

Kamal Haasan has weighed in on Vijay's film Jana Nayagan being leaked before release.

Jana Nayagan was set to release in Januarybut was postponed after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) did not certify it. After the CBFC raised objections to some of the film's content, the makers moved court. The matter is sub judice, and hence, the film’s release is stalled. Now, amid that delay, the film has been leaked online.

Kamal Haasan on Jana Nayagan leak

Talking about the leak, Kamal Haasan took to X (formerly Twitter), and wrote, “The leak of #Jananayagan is not an accident - it is the result of systemic failure. Had due process been timely, we would not be here. Inordinate delays in certification created fertile ground for piracy. When legal access is stalled, illegitimate channels take over.”

Kamal, one of the most successful and acclaimed actors from Tamil cinema, said piracy is ‘beyond politics’ and it impacts the livelihoods of many working in the industry. “Piracy is beyond politics; it is an attack on the art and artist itself. It endangers the work of hundreds of artists and technicians, and the investments of honest tax-paying producers, exhibitors and theatre owners, all who sustain the cinema we love,” the actor wrote.

‘Who protects the creator?’

Taking a dig at the establishment, he concluded, “Who protects the creator when the system fails? We need accountability, swift certification, strict enforcement, and real-time takedowns. I trust true lovers of cinema will unite and give a befitting response by watching the film legally in theatres, as you stood with me in the past.”

All about Jana Nayagan

Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth, is to be Vijay’s final film before he takes the political plunge with his party, TVK. The party and Vijay are contesting the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Vijay, arguably the highest-profile Tamil star today, has alleged that the film’s delay has been orchestrated by his political opponents. The film, a political drama, also stars Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj, and Mamitha Baju.