‘Jana Nayagan’ censor row: Film fraternity slams CBFC, calls it ‘injustice’

Vijay’s farewell film ‘Jana Nayagan’ is indefinitely postponed as the film awaits certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The delay follows the interim stay granted by the Madras High Court, hours after a single judge ordered the CBFC to grant UA clearance. The film fraternity has come together and expressed their concern on censorship row.

Mari Selvaraj calls it ‘injustice’

Ace filmmaker Mari Selvaraj voiced his opinion in Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ censor row and urged his fellow filmmakers to ‘raise a loud voice’ against such ‘injustice’. He pointed at the trend of ‘spreading fear’ over artistic expression, and why it should not be encouraged. He framed the row as a test case for how the state deals with films revolving around politics.

Ram Gopal Varma questioned the relevance of CBFC

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma didn't mince words while expressing how 'outdated' the Censor Board is. “Not in the context of just @Actor_Vijay’s #JanaNayagan ‘s censor issues, but in an overall manner, it is truly foolish to think that the censor board is still relevant today. It has long outlived its purpose, but it’s being kept alive out of laziness to debate its relevance now, and it is the film industry as a whole which is mainly responsible for this,” he said in a post on X. “Age classification makes sense. Warnings of the content make sense. Censorship does not,” he added.

RGV also pointed out how the world has moved on to platforms beyond theatrical release. “The world has already moved on to so many platforms which are unfiltered and unsupervised and so the painful question is whether the authorities have the courage to admit that they are obsolete, and more than that, whether we as a film industry collectively have the will to question them on the same. So instead of raising this topic once in a while over a particular film, the fight should be with that particular system of thinking which created the censor board.”

Sivakarthikeyan on the censor row

Actor Sivakarthikeyan also reflected on the censorship during a press interaction held after his 'Parasakthi' obtained the certificate on January 9. While the Censor Board has its own set of rules, regulations, and criteria, Sivakarthikeyan stated that, nevertheless, the release uncertainties hurt producers, theatres, and workers across the value chain. He spoke about how such censorship decisions should not be allowed to derail months of planning. Reflecting on the challenges that his film faced, especially in implementing the changes without destroying the film’s core, he added, "We didn't have time to get into why they suggested these changes and so on. The changes came only in the afternoon, after which we had to implement them and load the film on CUBE."

Meanwhile, following the court hearings on January 6, and 7 in the Madras High Court, on January 9, Justice PT Asha directed the Censor Board to grant clearance to Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’. However, following an appeal filed hours later, the court granted an interim stay against the single judge's verdict. The matter is posted to January 21. So, Vijay’s farewell film before he completely transitions to politics, may not arrive for the Pongal release.

Disclaimer: The information in this report is based on a legal hearing as reported by a third-party source. The details provided represent allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The case is ongoing, and a final verdict has not been reached. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.