Chennai: The Central Board of Film Certification has cleared Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s highly anticipated political thriller “Jana Nayagan” with an adults-only ‘A’ certificate, directing 12 major structural cuts and modifications. The censor board’s detailed order mandates the complete deletion or muting of politically sensitive dialogues, particularly all references to “TVK”—the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam political party launched by Vijay in February 2024 before he transitioned into public life.
Directed by H. Vinoth and produced by Bengaluru-based KVN Productions, the 183-minute feature film has been at the centre of a massive seven-month legal and piracy deadlock. According to the official certification document, the makers had to comply with a series of visual and audio alterations to secure the release clearance. Crucially, the board ordered the total deletion of a scene depicting the Indian national flag falling to the ground, alongside a visual showing a district collector’s official office insignia being rolled down in a disrespectful manner.
The regulatory body also targeted specific socio-political and religious phrases within the script. The filmmakers were forced to replace a controversial dialogue containing the phrase “Ambedkar sattam… TVK sattam” (Ambedkar’s law… TVK’s law) and alter visuals that displayed the image of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on a book cover. Furthermore, the board mandated the removal of the phrase “New India” and ordered the muting of a provocative Tamil line translating to “I will make India fall at my feet.” On the religious front, terms like “Bhagavatham” and “Ranganathar” were ordered to be muted alongside two explicit cuss words, while a sensitive scene showing a child being burnt was completely replaced.
The certification marks the conclusion of a tumultuous journey for the high-budget project, which was originally slated for a Pongal release on January 9. Following unexplained administrative delays at the examining committee stage, the producers had approached the Madras High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court before ultimately agreeing to let a revising committee evaluate the movie. The controversy intensified significantly in April when an uncertified high-definition cut of the film was leaked online, registering over 1.2 crore views before the Tamil Nadu Police intervened, blocking the pirated links and arresting several individuals, including a freelance film editor.
Boasting a star-studded cast featuring Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and Prakash Raj, alongside a musical score by Anirudh Ravichander, the film is now cleared for its theatrical run. Industry insiders suggest that “Jana Nayagan” is locked to hit the silver screen on July 24, with distribution rights secured for an extensive release across approximately 1,000 theatres in Tamil Nadu.
