Although Vijay has indeed become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the film – which was widely considered a symbolic farewell to his film career – is still awaiting clearance from the Censor Board. Producer Venkat K. Narayan confirmed on Friday that *Jan Nayak* has not yet received the certificate from the CBFC.
Producer Venkat K. of the film *Jana Nayak* (titled *Jana Nayak* in Hindi) made under the banner of KVN Productions. Narayan spoke to reporters after being seen at a temple on Friday evening. Initially hesitant to say anything else, he eventually admitted that the film had not yet received its certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and expressed hope that the approval would be received soon so that the film could be released worldwide.
**What did the producer say?**
He said, “This is not the right place to discuss *Jannanayak*. I came to the temple just to offer my prayers. However, as I said, we are still waiting for the certificate to be issued. I am confident that they will release it very soon. Our intention is to release the film as soon as possible. This is not the place to discuss any other matter; thank you. I came here to seek the blessings of the Almighty. I came for the *darshan*, and I am very pleased.” Glad that Vijay Sir has become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. As you know, he has truly become the ‘people’s leader’ of Tamil Nadu. That is why I have come here to offer my prayers.”
*The film was scheduled to release in January**
*Jannanayak* was originally scheduled to release in theaters on January 9 – Pongal day. This date is considered one of the most important and decisive occasions for film releases in Tamil cinema. The film is stuck for more than five months. During this time, the film had to go through a complex legal battle that went from the Madras High Court to the Supreme Court and then to the High Court; During this time, a huge political change was also seen, where the main character shown in the film has now become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. This film has been directed by H. Vinod. This is her first project with Vijay. This film was directed by Venkat K. Narayanan has produced under the banner of KVN Productions. The cast of the film includes Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamita Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Priyamani and Narayanan.
**When and how did the problems start?**
**The problems started even before the film’s scheduled release date, when the production team submitted the film to the CBFC more than a month in advance. However, he could not get the certificate on time. On December 19, 2025, the board suggested some cuts and improvements, but the final certificate was not issued. Subsequently, the CBFC sent the film to a ‘Revision Committee’ as they were concerned about the unauthorized use of symbols associated with the Indian Army. In a separate complaint, it was also alleged that some scenes in the film hurt religious sentiments.
Venkat K. Narayanan filed an urgent petition in the Madras High Court, in which he sought resolution of the matter. A single-judge bench directed the CBFC to issue a ‘U/A’ certificate to the film. The Board challenged this order before a ‘Division Bench’, which stayed the single judge’s decision until January 9, the film’s scheduled release date. Due to this, the producers approached the Supreme Court to get the High Court’s stay order quashed. The Supreme Court refused to intervene in the matter, leaving the future of the film hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, by February 10, KVN Productions withdrew its petition filed in the Madras High Court and decided to approach the CBFC directly instead of taking legal action. The production house’s troubles increased further when the film was leaked online in April. After this incident, many people were arrested in connection with the piracy of the film.