CBFC clears Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' after months: Here's what changed
What's the story
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has finally cleared Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's much-anticipated final film Jana Nayagan, after months of delay. The film has been given an A certificate with 12 major changes suggested by the censor board, confirmed Variety India. These include the removal of certain words, visuals, and references that had political connotations due to their association with Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Film modifications
Multiple edits were made to the film
One of the major changes involved the removal of the term TVK from a dialogue at 110:23 minutes, which mentioned "Ambedkar sattam... to... TVK sattam." The reference to TVK was removed from both audio and visuals without altering the runtime. Other modifications included muting multiple words such as Bhagavatham, Ranganathar, cuss words, and OM, deletion of a "New India" reference, and alteration of visuals showing an Indian flag falling on the ground.
Release challenges
Film was delayed due to the certification process
The film's release was originally scheduled for Pongal on January 9 but got delayed due to the certification process. After multiple reviews, KVN Productions moved the Madras High Court for speedy approval. The delay continued despite a high-definition version of the film leaking online, which led to a police probe and arrests. Directed by H Vinoth, it also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mamitha Baiju, and Prakash Raj.