The producers of the Tamil film Jana Nayagan, starring Vijay, have approached the Supreme Court on Monday, challenging an interim order of the Madras High Court that stayed a single-judge direction to grant the CBFC clearance to the movie. The film was supposed to release on January 9, before it was postponed indefinitely after not receiving a clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
What was the Madras HC order
On January 9, a single judge ordered the CBFC to immediately grant a censor certificate to Jana Nayagan. However, later in the day, the Madras High Court stayed the order, leaving the fate of the actor-politician’s film in the lurch. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 21, meaning the film cannot possibly release before that.
KVN Productions approaches SC
KVN Productions LLP, the company producing the film, filed an appeal against the order passed by a division bench of the high court last Friday, which put on hold the single bench’s directive to the board to issue the film’s certificate forthwith. The film has political overtones, and is particularly significant given that Vijay has announced he will leave cinema for active politica after its release.
Vijay recently launched his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and has expressed his wish to contest the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections this year under its banner.
What is the Jana Nayagan issue?
Jana Nayagan was set to release on January 9 ahead of Pongal, a popular release window for Tamil films. However, the film ran into last-minute hurdles after the Central Board of Film Certification did not issue certification in time.
Earlier, allowing the plea of KVN Productions seeking a direction to CBFC to issue a censor certificate, Justice Asha said that once the board had decided to grant the certificate, the chairperson had no power to send the matter to the review committee.
The film board immediately preferred an appeal against the order. There shall be a stay, the bench added and ordered notice to the producer of the movie and posted the matter to January 21.
