Madras HC reserves order in Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' release case
What's the story
In a significant development, the Madras High Court reserved its order in the appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) against a single judge's directive to grant a U/A 16+ certificate to Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan. The film was initially scheduled for release on January 9 but was postponed due to delays in obtaining certification from CBFC.
Legal proceedings
CBFC argues producers failed to challenge communication
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, representing CBFC, argued that the producers never challenged the board's decision to send the film to a revising committee in court. He also claimed that the previous High Court case did not give enough time for CBFC to file a reply. Sundaresan questioned KVN Productions's claim of investing ₹500cr in the film, asking why they decided on a release date beforehand.
Counterargument
Producers argue CBFC's actions were 'meaningless and empty'
In response, Senior Advocate Satish Parasaran, representing KVN Productions, argued that the actual impugned order regarding Jana Nayagan being sent to the revising committee was still not issued. He claimed that they were only given a 'communication' and not an 'order' that could be challenged. The producers also revealed that CBFC is now asking them to reinsert deleted scenes before sending the film to the revising committee, calling it a "meaningless and empty exercise."
Legal threat
Amazon threatened legal action over 'Jana Nayagan' release date
The producers also revealed that Amazon threatened to sue them if they didn't clarify the release date by December 31. They claimed that CBFC did not communicate with them between December 25 and January 5, despite their repeated requests. The producers argued that no producer announces a release date after getting the certificate, citing Dhurandhar 2 as an example.
Conclusion
Court reserved order after hearing both sides
After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order on Tuesday. Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava noted that CBFC was given no time in the previous case as it was heard in a day due to the producers creating "urgency." He also questioned the time given to CBFC to produce documents for the case. The counsel informed that ASG "came prepared" with a sealed cover containing a complaint and records from Mumbai.