‘Jana Nayagan’ producers move Madras High Court to withdraw plea against CBFC

According to The Hindu's sources, the petition is likely to be listed under the caption “For Withdrawal” before Justice P.T. Asha on Tuesday (February 10, 2026).

Vijayan Subramanian, counsel-on-record for KVN Productions LLP, has conveyed the production house’s decision not to pursue the litigation any further.

The film, originally scheduled for release on January 9, 2026, was reviewed by the CBFC’s five-member examination committee on December 19, 2025.

The producers claim they received a communication on December 22 stating that the film could be granted a U/A 16+ certificate, subject to certain excisions.

KVN Productions accepted the recommendation and carried out the suggested cuts instead of appealing to the nine-member revising committee for a ‘U’ certificate.

The edited version of the film was resubmitted to the CBFC on December 24, 2025.

However, during this period, a member of the CBFC’s monitoring committee lodged a complaint with CBFC Chairman Prasoon Joshi, alleging procedural lapses in the certification process.

In the complaint, the member claimed that the film contained visuals and dialogues depicting foreign powers allegedly instigating large-scale religious conflict in India, which could disturb communal harmony.

The complaint also noted that, despite multiple references to the Indian Army, no defence expert had been included on the examination committee.

The monitoring committee member further alleged that objections raised during the screening on December 19 were not considered, terming it a “gross violation” of the Cinematograph Act and Rules, and urged the CBFC chairman to direct a re-examination of the film.

The delay in the film’s certification and release has reportedly caused concern within the Tamil film industry, which has been closely tracking the outcome of the censor dispute.