CM Vijay's Jana Nayagan gets A rating after 7-month standoff with censor board
CM Vijay's Jana Nayagan has been cleared with an A certificate by the Cental Board of Film Certification after nearly a seven-month delay. The film is expected to hit theatres in the third week of July.
After nearly seven months of uncertainty, court battles, piracy leaks and countless rumours, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's Jana Nayagan has finally cleared the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with an A certificate. This brings an end to one of the most unprecedented certification delays in recent Tamil cinema. The film's runtime now stands at 3 hours and 3 minutes.
While the censor certificate was uploaded to the official CBFC website, the cut list is still awaited. According to reports, Jana Nayagan, Vijay's farewell film, is expected to hit theatres on July 23 or July 24. An official confirmation is awaited.
January release to seven-month standoff with CBFC
Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled to be released on January 9 ahead of the Pongal holidays and three months prior to Vijay's first-ever electoral contest. The film was submitted to the CBFC on December 19, 2025, but instead of receiving a certificate within the usual timeline, it became embroiled in an unusually prolonged certification process.
The examining committee initially sought modifications. After the producers incorporated the suggested changes and resubmitted the film, the process stalled. During court proceedings, it emerged that a member of the examining committee had objected to the certification and sought a revision, sending the film to the revising committee.
With weeks turning into months and no decision forthcoming, production house KVN Productions approached the Madras High Court, arguing that the delay had jeopardised the film's scheduled release. However, the legal proceedings failed to immediately resolve the impasse, leaving the film stuck in limbo.
Piracy leak worsened the crisis
The delay took a dramatic turn in April when a high-definition copy of Jana Nayagan was leaked online before the film had even received CBFC certification.
The Tamil Nadu police arrested several people in connection with the leak, including a freelance film editor. During a subsequent hearing, the prosecution informed the Madras High Court that the pirated version had been watched by nearly 1.2 crore people before authorities managed to block access to it.
Investigators alleged that the leaked edit was assembled from footage copied from an editing suite before eventually making its way onto piracy websites.
Rumours, fake certificates and release speculation
As the months passed, social media was flooded with speculation over the film's fate.
Just days ago, a fake CBFC certificate claiming that Jana Nayagan had received an A certificate went viral before the account that shared it admitted it had been fabricated. The forged document was later found to have been modelled on Vijay's Leo censor certificate, adding to the confusion among fans.
Speculation over the release date also intensified after overseas distributors hinted at a July 24 theatrical release, while reports suggested the film could also arrive on July 23 depending on the makers' final strategy. Canadian distributor York Cinemas had even announced a July 24 release for overseas audiences before any official confirmation from KVN Productions.
Official release announcement awaited
With the censor hurdle now cleared, all eyes are on KVN Productions for the official release date announcement.
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan stars Vijay alongside Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj and Narain. Widely billed as Vijay's final film before entering full-time politics, the project has generated unprecedented anticipation, making its seven-month certification delay one of the most closely followed episodes in recent Tamil cinema.
The issuance of the CBFC certificate now marks the final major hurdle before Jana Nayagan finally reaches theatres.
After nearly seven months of uncertainty, court battles, piracy leaks and countless rumours, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's Jana Nayagan has finally cleared the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with an A certificate. This brings an end to one of the most unprecedented certification delays in recent Tamil cinema. The film's runtime now stands at 3 hours and 3 minutes.
While the censor certificate was uploaded to the official CBFC website, the cut list is still awaited. According to reports, Jana Nayagan, Vijay's farewell film, is expected to hit theatres on July 23 or July 24. An official confirmation is awaited.
January release to seven-month standoff with CBFC
Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled to be released on January 9 ahead of the Pongal holidays and three months prior to Vijay's first-ever electoral contest. The film was submitted to the CBFC on December 19, 2025, but instead of receiving a certificate within the usual timeline, it became embroiled in an unusually prolonged certification process.
The examining committee initially sought modifications. After the producers incorporated the suggested changes and resubmitted the film, the process stalled. During court proceedings, it emerged that a member of the examining committee had objected to the certification and sought a revision, sending the film to the revising committee.
With weeks turning into months and no decision forthcoming, production house KVN Productions approached the Madras High Court, arguing that the delay had jeopardised the film's scheduled release. However, the legal proceedings failed to immediately resolve the impasse, leaving the film stuck in limbo.
Piracy leak worsened the crisis
The delay took a dramatic turn in April when a high-definition copy of Jana Nayagan was leaked online before the film had even received CBFC certification.
The Tamil Nadu police arrested several people in connection with the leak, including a freelance film editor. During a subsequent hearing, the prosecution informed the Madras High Court that the pirated version had been watched by nearly 1.2 crore people before authorities managed to block access to it.
Investigators alleged that the leaked edit was assembled from footage copied from an editing suite before eventually making its way onto piracy websites.
Rumours, fake certificates and release speculation
As the months passed, social media was flooded with speculation over the film's fate.
Just days ago, a fake CBFC certificate claiming that Jana Nayagan had received an A certificate went viral before the account that shared it admitted it had been fabricated. The forged document was later found to have been modelled on Vijay's Leo censor certificate, adding to the confusion among fans.
Speculation over the release date also intensified after overseas distributors hinted at a July 24 theatrical release, while reports suggested the film could also arrive on July 23 depending on the makers' final strategy. Canadian distributor York Cinemas had even announced a July 24 release for overseas audiences before any official confirmation from KVN Productions.
Official release announcement awaited
With the censor hurdle now cleared, all eyes are on KVN Productions for the official release date announcement.
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan stars Vijay alongside Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj and Narain. Widely billed as Vijay's final film before entering full-time politics, the project has generated unprecedented anticipation, making its seven-month certification delay one of the most closely followed episodes in recent Tamil cinema.
The issuance of the CBFC certificate now marks the final major hurdle before Jana Nayagan finally reaches theatres.
