Vijay's Jana Nayagan Censor Case: Madras HC Bench Reserves Order Amid CBFC's Urgency Claims

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The Madras High Court has reserved its order in the ongoing case between KVN Productions and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over the censor certification of Vijay's film Jana Nayagan. The producers, represented by Senior Advocate Satish Parasaran, argued that they were forced to approach the court after the CBFC failed to communicate with them for over a week, despite repeated requests. The CBFC, represented by Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, claimed that the producers never challenged the communication they received, which sent the film to a revising committee. The ASG also questioned the producers' announcement of a January 9 release date before receiving certification, and expressed skepticism over their claim of a ₹500 crore investment. The court heard that if not for the ongoing case, Jana Nayagan would have received a decision from the revising committee by January 26. The producers argued that the CBFC's delay had caused them to lose valuable time, and that they were now being asked to reinsert deleted scenes, which they deemed a 'meaningless and empty exercise'. Amazon reportedly informed the producers on December 31 that they would take legal action if there was no clarity on the release date. The court also noted that no producer announces their release date after obtaining certification, citing the example of Dhurandhar 2. The Chief Justice questioned the urgency of the case, remarking that it would set a precedent if the submission was accepted. The CJ also expressed concern over the CBFC's lack of preparedness, pointing out that the Chairperson Prasoon Joshi's decision had not been shared with the court. The Madras HC Bench has reserved its order in the case, awaiting further developments.