The Madras High Court has directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a U/A certificate for Vijay's Jana Nayagan, setting aside the board's decision to send it to a revising committee. The CBFC has appealed to the Chief Justice against the court's order.
The film, which was initially scheduled for release on January 9, marks Vijay's final film before entering politics. The court ruled that the CBFC's decision to reopen the certification process was "without jurisdiction" and warned that entertaining such objections would give rise to a "dangerous trend".
The production house had invested close to Rs 500 crore in the film, betting big on the Pongal weekend. The film's release date is now uncertain, pending the outcome of the CBFC's appeal. The makers are awaiting further updates, with the appeal likely to be taken up on Monday.
The film's director, H Vinoth, is known for his previous works, Kaakhee with Karthik, Valimai with Ajith and Jana Nayagan is expected to be a major hit, given Vijay's popularity. The film also stars Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol, and an audio launch was held in Malaysia a few weeks ago.