Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s last film ‘Jana Nayagan’ has finally cleared the Central Board of Film Certification. The film received an ‘A’ certificate after delay of nearly seven months, with several cuts and changes made along the way.
The key change: Removing TVK
One of the biggest changes made before certification involved reference tied closely to Vijay’s political identity. Vijay’s character in the film is named Thalapathy Vetri Kondan. It shortens to TVK. Outside film, TVK stands for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. It is the political party founded by Vijay.
The certification note points to specific dialogue change at the center of this issue. The main change recorded in certification note comes at time code 110:23, where dialogue line comparing “Ambedkar satam” to “TVK sattam” was replaced. The usage of TVK was removed from both the audio and video of the scene. The change was muted and modified, with no impact on the film’s overall duration.
Changes involving Ambedkar references
The certification note also required a change to how a reference to BR Ambedkar appears in the film. A dialogue was modified to state that Ambedkar is shown on the cover page of a book wherever it appears, again with no change in duration.
Visuals of the Indian flag removed
Another cut involved imagery connected to the national flag. Visuals showing the Indian flag falling on the ground were deleted from the film entirely.
Multiple words muted throughout the film
Several individual words across the film were muted rather than cut. The words “Bhagavatham” and “Ranganathar” were muted wherever they appeared. The words “Thevidiya Paiya” and “Otha” were also muted from the audio.
The word “OM” was removed wherever it was uttered in the film. A reference to “New India” while the film explains a plot device called Operation Meluha was also removed.
Changes to a hanging scene
The certification note describes edits to visuals tied to a hanging scene. Visuals described as related to the hanging of Shri Saddam, along with an accompanying line about the body being displayed, were either muted or replaced.
Changes to an office badge visual
A separate visual disrespecting an official symbol was also altered. A visual showing a DC’s office badge or sign being rolled down in a disrespectful manner was removed and replaced with different footage.
Additional dialogue and word changes
Several other lines and words were flagged in the certification note. A dialogue line referencing a body and comparing it to something struck was muted. The words “India la kalla virala vaikarne” were also muted from the audio.
Changes to violent imagery
Visuals depicting a child being burned were deleted from the film and replaced with alternate footage. The word “Siluvaila” was muted wherever it appeared in the dialogue.
Character name changed
Beyond dialogue and visual cuts, the certification also required a change to a character’s name. The name “Sheela Rani” was replaced wherever it appears in the film.
Final runtime and release date
With certification now complete, the film’s final specifications are set. The film’s runtime now stands at 3 hours and 3 minutes following all the required cuts and modifications. ‘Jana Nayagan’ is ready to release in theaters on July 24.