The long-anticipated airing of Thalapathy Vijay’s last film, Jana Nayagan, has hit yet another monumental legal wall. A Division Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 overturned a previous order directing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a U/A certificate to the film.
The verdict has virtually condemned the film to legal limbo, leaving millions of fans and the film’s production house, KVN Productions, unsure of whether the film will be released in cinemas. The Division Bench Ruling. A Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan accepted the writ appeal brought against the CBFC. The court found that the lone judge, Justice P.T. Asha, should not have passed the order on Jan 9 without giving the CBFC a chance to file a counter-affidavit.
The High Court observed
This has been remanded for Fresh Hearing: Re-appoint the case to the single judge for a fresh hearing. Lack of Opportunity: The first order was entered in a "state of emergency" as established by the production house, where no statutory body (CBFC) could appear at trial full legal defence, the Court stated. Amendment of Prayer: The Court has also urged the production house to amend its petition to challenge the CBFC Chairperson’s order that the film be referred to Revising Committee.
Why 'Jana Nayagan' is Stuck
The controversy stems from the CBFC Chairman’s referral of the movie to the nine-person “Revising Committee” after an examining committee member complained. The complaint was that the film’s depiction of the Indian Armed Forces was problematic and there was no subject-matter expert on screen at the time of the initial screening.
Although the single judge had previously labeled this a “volte-face” and “motivated” after the producers had already completed 15 proposed cuts, the Division Bench stated Tuesday that procedural fairness would matter. Impact on Release/Political Stakes. A new ruling is a “double blow” for Vijay who is laying the groundwork for the full-on political transition with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Jana Nayagan is his political “swansong,” and more delay further hinders the momentum for his political rallies. The investment is an incredible one at almost ₹500 crore and so the stakes are very high. Film originally planned to be Pongal release (Jan 9) but was not shown. Today’s ruling will also mean that the film is likely to miss a rescheduled window this Friday.
What Happens Next?
The case will now go back to the single-judge bench for an “expeditious” hearing. But such a fast-track process is hardly likely to result in a release within days as a counter-affidavit and new arguments will need to be filed. For now, the `People’s Leader` is off screen.
