Supreme Court rejects ‘Jana Nayagan’ producer’s appeal; sends censor dispute back to High Court
The apex court refused to intervene in the censor clearance issue, directing the Jana Nayagan producers to pursue their appeal before the Madras High Court.
The Supreme Court of India on January 15th, 2026, dismissed the plea by the makers of Jana Nayagan – the highly anticipated film starring Thalapathy Vijay, seeking direct intervention for censor board clearance. The film’s producer, KVN Productions LLP, had approached the apex court after legal hurdles prevented the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from granting the final certificate ahead of the film’s originally planned Pongal release on January 9th, 2026.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, opted not to interfere with the certification dispute and instead directed the producers to present their arguments before a Division Bench of the Madras High Court on January 20th. This judicial turn comes amid an ongoing legal tussle that began when the CBFC, after an initial recommendation for a U/A 16+ certificate following edits by the producers, referred the film to a Revising Committee following a complaint about its content.
A single judge bench of the Madras High Court had earlier ordered the CBFC to issue the censor certificate immediately, but a division bench stayed that direction, citing procedural concerns. By refusing to grant direct relief, the Supreme Court has effectively kept the film’s release date in limbo, underscoring the time-sensitive nature of film certification disputes and urging a swift resolution by the High Court.
Jana Nayagan, widely publicized as Vijay’s final cinematic project before fully entering politics, continues to await formal censor clearance, with its prospective release now tied to the outcome of the High Court’s hearing later this month.
