It looks like Vijay’s much-awaited ‘Jana Nayagan’ is hitting more bumps than anyone imagined; on and off the screen! Just when fans were gearing up for the superstar’s final movie before he officially jumps into politics, the Madras High Court turned the spotlight on the film in a legal tug-of-war with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
On Tuesday, January 27, a division bench of the Madras High Court, led by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, set aside a previous order by a single judge directing the CBFC to grant a U/A certificate for ‘Jana Nayagan’.
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But hold on. This doesn’t mean the movie is in limbo forever. The bench sent the matter back to the single judge for a fresh look pointing out that proper procedures weren’t followed and the principles of natural justice were ignored.
In short, the court said: “CBFC should get a fair chance to defend itself before any order comes out.”
The production house, KVN Productions, now has the liberty to tweak its petition and reframe its legal challenge specifically targeting the CBFC Chairperson’s decision to send the film for a review.
What went wrong with ‘Jana Nayagan’?
The legal mess began after CBFC received a complaint about the movie claiming some scenes could hurt religious sentiments and portrayed the armed forces in a questionable light. Although the examining committee had given a nod to certify the film with some cuts, one of its members filed a complaint alleging that they ignored his objections.
The CBFC Chairperson, taking this complaint seriously, referred the movie to the Revising Committee for a review. This move frustrated the producers.
“We were told the film would get a U/A certificate after minor edits, but suddenly, it was sent for a full review,” said the production team in court.
The single judge initially sided with the producers, ordering the CBFC to certify the film immediately. The court noted that the Chairperson’s decision to review the film post-certification was beyond her jurisdiction and criticised entertaining complaints from committee members after they had already submitted recommendations.
But the drama didn’t end there. Soon after, the production house rushed to the Chief Justice’s bench, asking for urgent intervention. The division bench immediately stayed the single judge’s order, noting that the producers had “created an urgency” and applied pressure on the judiciary.
What’s next?
The Madras High Court has given the single judge clear directions: Hear the CBFC properly. Allow the producers to amend their petition to specifically challenge the Chairperson’s order. Decide afresh based on facts, not assumptions.
Until then, the fate of Vijay’s final film in the silver screen world is hanging on a fine balance between legal procedure and cinematic anticipation.