Vijay’s Jana Nayagan faces fresh delay amid ongoing tussle with CBFC, won’t release before TN Assembly Elections

Canadian distributor of Vijay’s final film Jana Nayagan has confirmed that the film will not be released before April 30.

The uncertainty surrounding the release of actor-politician Vijay’s final film Jana Nayagan continues to deepen amid its legal tussle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Adding to the growing speculation, a fresh update now suggests that the much-anticipated project is unlikely to hit theatres before April 30, indicating yet another delay in its release timeline.

Vijay will contest in the Tamil Nadu elections and Jana Nayagan is touted to be his last film.

Another setback for Jana Nayagan

Further compounding the uncertainty around the project, Canadian distributor York Cinemas has confirmed that the film will not be released before April 30, pushing its timeline further down the calendar. The update was shared through the distributor’s official social media handle, leaving fans disappointed.

On Saturday, the distributors issued a statement announcing the update and urged audiences to seek refunds in light of the revised release situation. The statement was posted on X, with a caption that read, “Important Announcement of Jananayagan. From York Cinemas Management.”

The statement reads, “Dear Patrons, Please note that the movie Jana Nayagan will not be releasing before April 30th. If you have any pending tickets and your refund has not yet been processed, kindly contact our theatres to have it arranged at the earliest.”

“All our loyal membership holders will receive priority booking access once the new release date is confirmed. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support,” it stated further.

With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections beginning in April, it is almost certain that Jana Nayagan won't release before that, further pushing back its potential release window.

While the note refrained from revealing a new release date, it made it clear that the film will not be hitting theatres anytime in the near future.

The post set off a wave of reactions across social media, with several fans wondering whether the update had been officially approved by the makers. One wrote, “Is it officially confirmed by the production house?”, with one wondering, “So May or June release?”.

Jana Nayagan in limbo

The uncertainty over the release of his final film, Jana Nayagan stemmed from the legal row with the CBFC. Jana Nayagan was earlier scheduled to hit theatres on January 9. The H Vinoth-directed film was supposed to be Vijay’s final film before he contested the Tamil Nadu elections this year with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party. However, the film has been stuck in with the CBFC.

On January 27 a two-judge bench set of the Madras High Court aside the single-judge bench’s January 9 directive to the CBFC, which had asked them to certify the film. The court directed the producer and the CBFC back to a single-judge bench, stating that the censor board should’ve been allowed time to file a counter.

In February, the Madras High Court permitted the producer of Vijay’s film Jana Nayagan, KVN Productions, to withdraw their petition, which sought direction to the CBFC to grant a censor certificate to the film. After a month-long legal battle, the producer withdrew, allowing the revising committee to take over the film’s certification.

The film has yet to be certified, and both the production house, KVN Productions, and the CBFC have refused to comment on the matter.

Directed by H. Vinoth and produced by KVN Productions, the film also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol and Mamitha Baiju, alongside Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani. It is reportedly a remake of the 2023 Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari.