Vijay’s long-delayed final film Jana Nayagan is now expected to release within two weeks, producer Venkat K Narayana said during the actor-turned-politician’s swearing-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister. The film is in the final stage of CBFC certification after months of legal hurdles, leaks, arrests and a court battle over alleged non-compliance with defence consultation rules.
Now that actor-turned-politician Vijay is the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, his much-awaited final film Jana Nayagan should be hitting theatres within the next two weeks, according to producer Venkat K Narayana. The update was shared on Sunday during Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, where Narayana confirmed that the film is currently in the final stage of certification with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
“Final processes are underway, and we are in discussions with them,” Narayana told reporters. But in case you missed it, the release of the movie had earlier faced delays because of last stage certification-related issues.
The film was originally supposed to release on January 9, around the time of Pongal. But repeated postponements and controversies surrounding its release put it in the spotlight over the past few months. As it turns out, parts of the film (and reportedly in some cases almost the full movie) were leaked online through illegal websites ahead of release. Following the leak, several people, including an assistant director and a freelance assistant editor, were arrested in connection with the case.
The production house, KVN Productions, had earlier urged audiences not to watch or circulate leaked footage and warned of strict legal action against those involved.
But that is not even the beginning of the film’s problems. The film got delayed in the first place after a complaint letter submitted to the legal authorities during the censoring process kicked off a whole legal battle. The complaint claimed that despite containing several references to the Indian army, the filmmakers had not consulted any defence or security expert as mandated by the Cinematography Act. The film was initially cleared for certification at the court, but the Madras High Court’s Chief Justice Bench overturned the single judge’s decision, lengthening the clearance process, which is still undergoing.
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan is described as an action-packed political entertainer. The film features a large ensemble cast including Bobby Deol, Prakash Raj, Priyamani, Pooja Hegde, Narain, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Mamitha Baiju in key roles. The music has been composed by Anirudh Ravichander.