On Wednesday, two days before the film’s release, Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan was postponed from its January 9 release date. There is no clarity on its new release date yet

Jana Nayagan marks Vijay’s final film before he shifts his focus completely to politics. The announcement significantly amplified anticipation around the film, leading to record-breaking advance bookings, particularly in overseas markets

However, the CBFC caused a roadblock in the film’s release. The makers submitted the film for certification under the tatkal process on December 18

After the first screening, the examining committee reportedly objected to certain scenes and asked for multiple cuts. The makers complied with the changes and revealed before the Madras High Court that they made 27 cuts

On December 22, the revised version was submitted to the CBFC. The makers stated that they were informed the regional office would grant the film a UA 16+ certificate. However, the certificate never came through

After days of silence, the CBFC referred Jana Nayagan to the Revising Committee on January 5. Reportedly, the regional office also directed the makers to approach the CBFC’s Mumbai office

When questioned about the delay in communication, the CBFC maintained that there was “no ulterior motive” behind the referral

A day after the referral to the Revising Committee, KVN Productions filed a petition in the Madras High Court. This was three days before the film’s scheduled release. The makers appealed for an urgent clearance certificate

The producers argued that the delay was unnecessary and could result in losses of nearly Rs 500 crore, as tickets had already been sold and audiences were awaiting the release

They further pointed out that the examining committee consisted of five members, all of whom submitted their recommendations independently. While a majority supported a UA 16+ certificate subject to cuts, one member later filed a complaint with the CBFC Chairperson, triggering further scrutiny

In court, the CBFC stated that the film was referred to the Revising Committee after a complaint claimed it hurt minority sentiments and raised concerns over the depiction of defence force emblems in the film

On Wednesday, the court reserved its order, leading to the postponement of the film’s release.  KVN Productions announced on social media that Jana Nayagan`s release had been postponed indefinitely

Theatre owners are currently issuing refunds as the film had started advance bookings and had projected a massive opening

According to tracking website Sacnilk, Jana Nayagan collected Rs 10.68 crore in India, including blocked seats. Given the inflated black-market pricing, opening-day figures were expected to be even higher