Jana Nayagan has finally crossed its biggest hurdle. After months of delays, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s much-awaited political thriller, his last film in the industry, has been cleared by the CBFC with an ‘A’ certificate. The board approved the film after asking the makers to make several changes, paving the way for its theatrical release later this month.
What changes did the CBFC ask for?
The CBFC cleared Jana Nayagan only after asking the makers to implement 12 changes across the film, according to a report by NDTV. Most of the edits involve political references, religious mentions, and scenes the board considered sensitive. All mentions of TVK (Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam) have either been muted or altered in both the film’s dialogues and visuals. A sequence featuring the Indian national flag has also been removed.
Among the other changes, the CBFC directed the makers to modify the dialogue “Ambedkar… to… TVK sattam” and alter a book cover carrying Dr. BR Ambedkar’s image. Religious terms including Bhagavathan, Ranganathar, and OM have been muted, while the word OM has specifically been removed from a dialogue explaining Operation Meluha.
The board also objected to a few dialogues, asking the team to mute one referring to Saddam Hussein’s execution and another containing the line “India en kalla vizha vaikaren,” which translates to “I am holding a secret celebration in India.”
Several visual changes were ordered as well. A shot showing a District Collector’s office badge being rolled down was removed, and the entire dialogue beginning with “Ponnoda… kuduthu vachirukkanu, Udambu erukkunu (He’s lucky to have a daughter like that… and she’s got a fine physique)” has been muted. The CBFC also instructed the makers to replace a scene involving a child-burning visual, mute the word “Siluvailla,” and replace the name “Sheela Rani” wherever it appeared in the film.
Altogether, the board directed nearly 20 seconds of cuts and about 10 seconds of replacements. Despite the changes, the film’s runtime remains unchanged at 183 minutes and 11 seconds.
Why was the film delayed?
Jana Nayagan was first submitted to the CBFC in December 2025 and was expected to hit theatres on January 9, 2026, for the Pongal festival. However, the release was put on hold after an internal objection claimed that certain scenes could “hurt public sentiments.”
Reports said the examining committee had initially recommended a ‘U/A’ certificate. But after a committee member raised an internal complaint, the film was sent to the revising committee, delaying the certification process by several months. With no decision in sight, the makers approached the court to seek clearance for the film.
The delay took another turn in April when HD prints of the film leaked online before its release. The incident led to a police investigation, and nine people have reportedly been arrested in connection with the leak.
Release plans
Directed by H. Vinoth, the film features Vijay along with Bobby Deol, Prakash Raj, Pooja Hegde and Mamitha Baiju in key roles. KVN Productions has not officially confirmed the new release date yet. However, reports suggest Jana Nayagan is likely to hit nearly 1,000 theatres across Tamil Nadu on July 24.