Jana Nayagan censor cuts explained: TVK reference dropped, cuss words muted
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) made several changes before clearing Vijay's Jana Nayagan with an A certificate. Here's a look at every dialogue, visual and reference that was removed, muted or replaced before the film's release.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's last film Jana Nayagan has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with an A certificate after nearly seven months of delay. One of the main changes made before the film got the certificate was the removal of the use of TVK.
In the film, Vijay's character is named Thalapathy Vetri Kondan, shortened to TVK. Outside the film, TVK stands for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, the political party founded by Vijay.
The main change recorded in the certification note is at time code 110:23, where the dialogue "Ambedkar sattam...to... TVK sattam" was replaced. The usage of TVK was removed in both audio and video. The change was muted and modified, with no change in duration.
The certification note also lists a series of other audio and visual changes. A dialogue was modified to state that "Ambedkar is shown on the cover page of the book wherever it appears", with no change in duration. Visuals of the Indian flag falling on the ground were deleted. The words "Bhagavatham" and "Ranganathar" were muted. Two cuss words were also muted.
The words "OM" wherever uttered and "New India" while explaining Operation Meluha were removed. Visuals of "Thookula thookirachavan...avanau medaila leak panni" related to the hanging of Shri Saddam were either muted or replaced. A visual in which DC's office badge or gig is rolled down disrespectfully was removed and replaced.
The dialogue "Ponnoda... kudthu vachirukkum, Udambu erukirunu" was muted, as were the words "India n kalla virala vaikarne". Child burning visuals were deleted and replaced. The word "Siluvaila" was muted, and the name "Sheela Rani" was replaced wherever it appears.
The film's runtime is now 3 hours and 3 minutes. An official release date is still awaited.
More about Jana Nayagan
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan stars Vijay, Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj and Narain. The film is widely described as Vijay's farewell film, and is expected to release on July 23 or July 24.
Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled to release on January 9 ahead of Pongal. It was submitted to the CBFC on December 19, 2025. The examining committee then sought modifications. After the film was revised and resubmitted, the makers said they were informed that it was fit for a U/A certificate. The process stalled after an internal complaint from an examining committee member, following which the film was sent to the revising committee.
KVN Productions moved the Madras High Court seeking faster certification, but the matter remained unresolved. After a month and a visit to the Supreme Court, the petition was withdrawn, and the film remained with the revising committee. The delay deepened in April when a high-definition copy of the film leaked online before certification.
The Tamil Nadu police later arrested several people in connection with the leak, including a freelance film editor. During a later hearing, the prosecution told the Madras High Court that nearly 1.2 crore people had watched the pirated version before access was blocked. As the months passed, speculation over the film's status and release date grew. A fake CBFC certificate claiming that the film had received an A certificate also circulated online.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's last film Jana Nayagan has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with an A certificate after nearly seven months of delay. One of the main changes made before the film got the certificate was the removal of the use of TVK.
In the film, Vijay's character is named Thalapathy Vetri Kondan, shortened to TVK. Outside the film, TVK stands for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, the political party founded by Vijay.
The main change recorded in the certification note is at time code 110:23, where the dialogue "Ambedkar sattam...to... TVK sattam" was replaced. The usage of TVK was removed in both audio and video. The change was muted and modified, with no change in duration.
The certification note also lists a series of other audio and visual changes. A dialogue was modified to state that "Ambedkar is shown on the cover page of the book wherever it appears", with no change in duration. Visuals of the Indian flag falling on the ground were deleted. The words "Bhagavatham" and "Ranganathar" were muted. Two cuss words were also muted.
The words "OM" wherever uttered and "New India" while explaining Operation Meluha were removed. Visuals of "Thookula thookirachavan...avanau medaila leak panni" related to the hanging of Shri Saddam were either muted or replaced. A visual in which DC's office badge or gig is rolled down disrespectfully was removed and replaced.
The dialogue "Ponnoda... kudthu vachirukkum, Udambu erukirunu" was muted, as were the words "India n kalla virala vaikarne". Child burning visuals were deleted and replaced. The word "Siluvaila" was muted, and the name "Sheela Rani" was replaced wherever it appears.
The film's runtime is now 3 hours and 3 minutes. An official release date is still awaited.
More about Jana Nayagan
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan stars Vijay, Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj and Narain. The film is widely described as Vijay's farewell film, and is expected to release on July 23 or July 24.
Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled to release on January 9 ahead of Pongal. It was submitted to the CBFC on December 19, 2025. The examining committee then sought modifications. After the film was revised and resubmitted, the makers said they were informed that it was fit for a U/A certificate. The process stalled after an internal complaint from an examining committee member, following which the film was sent to the revising committee.
KVN Productions moved the Madras High Court seeking faster certification, but the matter remained unresolved. After a month and a visit to the Supreme Court, the petition was withdrawn, and the film remained with the revising committee. The delay deepened in April when a high-definition copy of the film leaked online before certification.
The Tamil Nadu police later arrested several people in connection with the leak, including a freelance film editor. During a later hearing, the prosecution told the Madras High Court that nearly 1.2 crore people had watched the pirated version before access was blocked. As the months passed, speculation over the film's status and release date grew. A fake CBFC certificate claiming that the film had received an A certificate also circulated online.
