'Jana Nayagan' censor row: Thalapathy Vijay starrer missing in today's listing, Hearing likely to happen on THIS date

The controversy over the censor certificate for the film 'Jana Nayagan' has now reached the Supreme Court. It is believed that the SLP may come up for hearing this Thursday, which also happens to be Pongal festival. On Tuesday, however, when the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant opened for the day, no ‘mention’ was made of the 'Jana Nayagan' petition. As regular cases proceeded as scheduled, the petition did not figure on the cause list. That said, the Supreme Court Registry has numbered the SLP after finding the papers to be in order, raising expectations that the matter could be listed for an early hearing.

Planned Pongal release derailed after CBFC withholds censor certificate

'Jana Nayagan', considered to be the swansong for actor Vijay before he plunged into active politics, was supposed to have a grand Pongal release on 9th January. However, it ran into a hiccup when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) failed to issue the censor certificate in time for release. This led to the movie producers moving to the Madras High Court for a directive to certify the movie. Hearing the plea, single judge Justice B.D. Asha ordered the CBFC to immediately issue a U/A certificate, clearing the way for the film’s release. The background and legal significance of this order were reported by The Hindu.

High Court division bench stays single judge order

Within hours of the ruling by the single judge, the CBFC moved the Madras High Court against the order. The division bench of Chief Justice M.M. Srivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan issued a stay order on the ruling of the single bench. The division bench then put the hearing in the case on hold until January 21, thereby delaying the possibility of the film’s release again. The stay order introduced new doubt over the future of the 'Jana Nayagan' movie, particularly with its festive release in mind.

Producers move Supreme Court as political reactions intensify

Challenging the division bench’s interim stay, the film’s production house has now moved the Supreme Court with an urgent appeal. At the same time, the CBFC has filed a caveat before the apex court, requesting that no orders be passed without hearing its arguments. With the Registry having formally numbered the SLP, legal sources indicate that the matter could be listed either on Thursday or on January 15, since January 14 is a court holiday. Meanwhile, many political figures in the state, including Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin, openly slammed the censor board's approach against 'Jana Nayagan'.

Disclaimer: This report is based on current judicial filings and reports from legal correspondents. As the matter is sub judice before the Supreme Court of India, all information regarding hearing dates and film certification is subject to change based on the court’s official orders. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a guarantee of the film's release date.