The legal tussle between the makers of Jana Nayagan and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) continued at the Madras High Court on Tuesday, with producers KVN Productions challenging the censor body’s objection to the film’s pre-certification release date announcement. The High Court hearing was stayed, offering temporary relief to the Vijay-starrer’s makers.
The CBFC, represented by Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, argued that the producers acted prematurely by fixing a January 9 release date without obtaining certification. The board maintained that announcing a release date before clearance goes against established procedure and later citing potential financial losses reportedly up to ₹500 crore cannot justify bypassing the certification process.
Countering this, Senior Advocate Satish Parasaran, appearing for KVN Productions, questioned the logic behind the CBFC’s stance. He submitted that announcing release dates prior to certification is a widely followed industry practice and not an exception. To support the argument, the producers cited several examples from the Hindi film industry, including Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar 2, whose release date was announced well in advance without CBFC certification.
Parasaran further informed the court that Jana Nayagan has already been certified in 22 countries, stressing that filmmakers globally do not wait for local certification before scheduling releases. He argued that insisting on such a practice would disrupt standard film production and marketing timelines.
The case has seen multiple legal turns over the past few weeks. KVN Productions first approached the High Court on January 5 after the CBFC informed them that the film would be sent to a revising committee, a process that can take up to 20 days. Although a single judge initially directed the CBFC to grant certification on January 9, the board challenged the order the same day, leading to the current hearing.
With the court yet to deliver a final verdict, the case has sparked a broader debate within the film industry over whether release dates should be announced only after certification, or if long-standing industry practice should prevail.
