The Madras High Court on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) reserved its orders in the Jana Nayagan censor case after hearing detailed arguments from both the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and producers of the Tamil film starring actor-politician 'Thalapathy' Vijay in the lead.

The case revolves around whether the CBFC acted correctly in sending Jana Nayagan to a revising committee days before the film's previously scheduled January 9, 2026 release date, and whether a single judge was right in directing the CBFC to issue a certificate immediately, when the producers challenged CBFC's revising-committee-move in court.

What the CBFC Told the Court

Appearing for the CBFC, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) argued that:

• The December 22, 2025 communication suggesting a U/A 16+ certificate was not a final clearance from the CBFC, but only a preliminary recommendation by an examining committee.

• The CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi had full authority to pause the process, and refer the film Jana Nayagan to a revising committee after a complaint was received.

• KVN Productions, producers of Jana Nayagan approached the court too quickly, without waiting for the revising committee to watch the film.

• The single judge, according to CBFC, did not give the censor board enough time to file a proper reply before passing orders.

• Importantly, CBFC said the producers never directly challenged CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi’s decision, yet the single judge still set it aside.

CBFC maintained that no final decision on certification has been taken yet, and that the legal process under the 2024 rules was still ongoing.

What Jana Nayagan Film Producers Argued

Senior counsel for the producers countered by saying:

• The December 22, 2025 CBFC letter clearly stated that the “Board has decided” to allow the film with certain cuts, and the producer complied with all of them.

• After making all the required deletions, the producers were left waiting with no response for days, forcing them to move court.

• Referring the film to a revising committee after promising clearance was arbitrary and unfair.

• The producers were kept in the dark about the complaint, which was even submitted to the court in a sealed cover.

• Asking the filmmakers to reinsert deleted scenes just to show them again to a revising committee was called an “empty and absurd exercise”.

The producers also stressed the huge financial stakes involved, stating that nearly Rs. 500 Cr. had been invested in the project.

What Troubled the Judges

During the hearing, the Chief Justice repeatedly questioned:

• Whether it was right of the single judge to dispose of such a major case without allowing CBFC to file a detailed reply.

• Whether this could set a dangerous precedent where courts rush through cases by simply calling for records.

• The lack of clarity around where exactly the CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi’s formal decision was documented.

The Bench also discussed whether the examining committee’s recommendation could truly be treated as a final decision of the CBFC.

January 20, 2026 Outcome

After hearing both sides at length, the Division Bench has reserved its orders, meaning a decision will be announced on a later date. Until then, Jana Nayagan's censor certification and release remains uncertain. Notably, Jana Nayagan is actor Vijay's last film before his debut into politics with the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections in April-May this year. The movie was supposed to be a political platform for Vijay's TVK party but is now stuck in a release limbo because of this case.