Chennai, 06 January (H.S.) : The Madras High Court on Tuesday intervened in the ongoing controversy surrounding the certification of actor Vijay's upcoming film, Jana Nayagan. Justice P.T. Asha directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to submit all relevant records, including a specific complaint received against the movie.

The producers moved the court following an unprecedented delay in the issuance of the censor certificate, despite the team reportedly complying with all suggested edits and cuts. The film is scheduled for a major Pongal release on January 9, leaving the makers with very little time to finalize distribution and theatre bookings.

During the proceedings, the judge questioned the urgency of the release while seeking clarity on why the certification remained pending. The film's team contended that the movie was submitted to the CBFC as early as mid-December and that a lead time of more than a week after compliance is highly unusual for a high-profile project.

Representatives of Vijay's political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), have alleged that the delay is politically motivated and aimed at suppressing the actor's rising influence. They claimed that the board had initially recommended a UA certificate but failed to provide the official clearance.

The legal battle has created significant uncertainty in the film industry, with many theatre owners in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka hesitating to open advance bookings without the mandatory certificate. The court's decision to examine the CBFC records comes at a crucial juncture as the film faces a competitive box-office clash.

The makers argued that any further delay would cause immense financial loss and logistical hurdles. The Madras High Court is expected to take a final call on the matter soon, which will determine whether the H. Vinoth directorial hits the screens as planned this Friday.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary