Jana Nayagan producer opens up on censor issues delaying Vijay's film release

Jana Nayagan producer Venkat K Narayana said the revising committee has watched the film and the team is awaiting the final censor certificate. The delay has kept Vijay's final film on hold and affected its release plans.

In Short

• Producer Venkat K Narayana says Jana Nayagan awaits censor clearance after delays
• Producer says revising committee has watched the film and hopes for an early release
• Film was initially slated for a January 2026 release but remains on hold pending certification

Amid continued uncertainty over the release of Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, producer Venkat K Narayana has spoken about the censorship hurdles that have delayed the film’s theatrical release.

In an exclusive interview with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, Narayana said the team was hopeful of receiving clearance soon, while also suggesting that the film was perhaps “destined” to release only after Vijay became Chief Minister, given the significance of its title card, which introduces the actor by that designation.

Narayana said the makers had applied for certification in December 2025 and that the revising committee has now watched the film. He said the team is awaiting the final certificate so that the film can be released in theatres at the earliest.

Jana Nayagn to release soon?

“We are hoping [the film will release soon]. We need to follow the law of the land. We need to get the censor certificate to release any movie in the theatres. We did apply for censor [certification] in the month of December 2025. And we all know what happened after that. The revising committee has also seen the movie now. We're hoping that we'll get the certificate at the earliest. And the movie will be in the theatres soon. Maybe it is destined that, in spite of us doing whatever we had to do to release the movie earlier, it was destined to be released after he became chief minister with that title card,” he said.

The actor's title card in the credits of the film reportedly introduces him as Chief Minister Vijay.

The producer also detailed the complications in the certification process. He said that although the examining committee had initially granted the film a U/A 16+ clearance, a subsequent complaint from a member led to the film being referred to a revising committee.

“Regarding the censor board hurdle, I don't want to get to the nuances. Whatever has happened from January [when the film was originally scheduled for release] to now, all that I know is we need to apply for censor and need to get a certificate. The examining committee saw and gave a clearance with the U/A 16+, but subsequently we got an e-mail saying that a member who had earlier consented has now complained,” he added.

“Therefore, it has to go to a revising committee, and we didn't initially approach the court of law. Subsequently, we chose to go to the revising committee and get it cleared. The revising committee has also seen the movie and, therefore, we await the clearance to release the movie at the earliest," he said, adding that people were very enthusiastic about seeing the movie on the big screen.

In the same interview, Narayana also spoke about Vijay’s popularity in Tamil Nadu, the deep personal connection fans feel with him and how the actor would prove to be a good administrator.

What's behind Jana Nayagan delay?

Jana Nayagan has been awaiting certification for several months. According to reports, the film was first screened for the Central Board of Film Certification’s examining committee in December 2025, which suggested multiple cuts and indicated that the film could receive a U/A certificate after the required revisions.

The makers reportedly carried out the recommended changes and submitted the film again. However, objections raised over certain scenes are said to have led to the film being referred to a revising committee, causing further delays in the certification process.

The prolonged wait for clearance has also reportedly affected the film’s release plans, including its overseas rollout and distribution strategy. During this period, the film was also reportedly leaked online.

Billed as Vijay’s final film as an actor, Jana Nayagan also stars Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde, and Bobby Deol in key roles. The film was initially slated for a January 2026 release, but remains on hold pending certification.

- Ends