Madras High Court just gave a big win to Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan by ordering the Central Board of Film Certification in India (CBFC) to issue the U/A certificate right away, slamming the censor board's last-minute roadblock as illegal. Jana Nayagan producers KVN Productions can now push forward with release plans, after the unprecedented last-minute delay, and postponement of the film from its scheduled January 9, 2026 release.

Jana Nayagan VS CBFC: What Sparked the Legal Fight

A single CBFC examiner complained of Jana Nayagan 'hurting religious sentiments' and its portrayal of the Indian defence forces, after the main team okayed a UA rating with some cuts. Producers made the required 27 cuts, but the CBFC Chairperson Prasoon Joshi suddenly sent the film for re-review on January 6, 2026 (exercising his authority per rule 24 of the Cinematograph Act) without keeping the makers in the loop. The Madras High court called this complaint an 'afterthought', that could start a risky trend of endless censor fights.

Why Court Said 'No Jurisdiction'

Once the five-member team votes and producers fix the cuts, law says the certificate must follow automatically—no take-backs allowed. The team on behalf of the CBFC Chairperson already greenlit the U/A decision, so they couldn't flip it later based on one person's late gripe. Court tossed CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi's letter, and directed immediate certification for the film Jana Nayagan.

Remedies & Fast-Track Censor

Court quashed the re-review order (Prasoon Joshi's letter recommending Jana Nayagan to a revising comittee in Mumbai), and directed CBFC to upload the UA certificate 'forthwith' (as soon as possible, often same day via e-Cinepramaan portal). Jana Nayagan producers hence have the green light to set a new release date for the film.

CBFC's Appeal

After Justice PT Asha in a single-judge hearing pronounced her order in favour of Jana Nayagan at 10: 30 AM on January 9, 2026 (Friday), Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ML Sundaresan representing CBFC, rushed to Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava for an 'urgent' appeal. But the bench said "file it first, then we'll see"—no instant freeze yet. If no stay comes quick, expect the Jana Nayagan censor certificate within a day.

Overall, this verdict protects filmmakers from internal censor games, ensuring cuts lead straight to certification. Jana Nayagan's path is clear, barring appeal surprises.