Chennai, January 27, 2026: The Madras High Court on Tuesday set aside a single judge’s order that directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a U/A certificate for actor Vijay’s much-awaited film, Jana Nayagan.
The Division Bench, headed by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, remanded the matter back to the single judge for a fresh hearing, noting that principles of natural justice were not followed.
Court Observations
The High Court highlighted several procedural lapses in the earlier order:
- The single judge did not provide the CBFC an opportunity to file a response to the writ petition.
- The court emphasized that the serious nature of allegations against the movie warranted proper consideration by the CBFC before certification.
- The single judge went into merits of the case without a formal prayer challenging the CBFC Chairperson’s review order, which the court noted as improper.
The Bench allowed KVN Productions, the film’s producers, to amend their writ petition and directed that the challenge be framed specifically against the Chairperson’s decision to send the film for review.
What This Means for ‘Jana Nayagan’
The film, starring Tamil superstar Vijay, remains without final certification, pending the fresh hearing. Fans eagerly awaiting the release may experience delays depending on how quickly the single judge addresses the matter.
This order underscores the importance of procedural fairness in censor-related disputes and reinforces that certification issues cannot bypass the CBFC’s statutory role.
