BREAKING| Madras High Court Allows 'Jana Nayagan' Producer To Withdraw Case Against Censor Board
The Division Bench of the High Court had remanded the matter back to the Single Judge for fresh consideration.
The Madras High Court allowed KVN Productions to withdraw its writ petition against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The petition had originally been filed to contest issues surrounding the certification process for the highly anticipated film "Jana Nayagan," starring Actor Vijay.
The Bench of Justice P.T. Asha accepted a request from the advocate representing KVN Productions to withdraw their writ petition against the CBFC.
The Division Bench of the High Court had set aside the Judgment passed by the Single Judge directing the grant of a 'UA’ certificate to the actor Vijay-starrer Film Jana Nayagan in the appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The court had reserved orders on January 20, 2026, after hearing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and KVN Productions LLP at length.
The Court said that the Single Judge erred by adjudicating on the merits of the case without affording the CBFC a fair opportunity to be heard, particularly as the Chairperson's order had not been formally challenged in the prayer.
Before the Single Bench, a writ petition was filed seeking the issuance of a Writ of Mandamus directing the CBFC to grant a Censor Certificate in the name of the petitioner, being the producer of the film “Jana Nayagan” under the UA 16+ category, as per the CBFC's communication within a period of 24 hours. The lead cast actors for the above film are Vijay, Prakash Raj and other leading artists from the South Indian Film Industry.
On December 18, 2025, the Petitioner applied for certification for Jana Nayagan. Following a review, the Examining Committee recommended a UA 16+ certificate subject to specific cuts. The petitioner complied, and by December 29, the CBFC confirmed the modifications were verified, and the certificate would be issued. The process then stalled due to technical issues on the CBFC portal regarding audio descriptions.
Despite the petitioner’s repeated reminders, the board failed to issue the certificate. Instead, on January 5, 2026, the CBFC unexpectedly referred the film to a Revising Committee following an undisclosed complaint regarding religious sentiments and the armed forces. The petitioner moved the court, arguing that once the committee had approved the film and cuts were made, the board could not legally restart the review process.
On Friday, January 9, the Single Bench had directed the Central Board of Film Certification to forthwith grant a U/A certificate to the movie.
On the same day, the CBFC urgently requested the Madras High Court to list its appeal against a single judge’s order. That order directed the board to immediately grant a U/A certificate to the movie. The Division Bench, later in the afternoon session, had stayed the order passed by the Single Bench.
On January 15, 2026, the Supreme Court also refused to interfere with the order passed by the Division Bench.
Accordingly, the matter was dismissed as withdrawn.
Cause Title: M/s KVN Productions v. Central Board of Film Certification and Anr. [WP 380 of 2026]