Ram Gopal Varma Slams ‘Outdated’ Censor Board Amid Jana Nayagan Release Delay: ‘It's Truly Foolish’

Thalapathy Vijay’s much-anticipated political drama Jana Nayagan is yet to receive clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Though the film was scheduled to hit theatres today, its release has been postponed indefinitely after the Madras High Court put a stay on its screening until the next hearing on January 21. As controversy swirls around the delay, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has weighed in, launching a sharp critique of the Censor Board and calling it “outdated.”

Known for his outspoken views, Varma took to X to express his frustration with censorship practices in India. While reacting amid the Jana Nayagan controversy, the Rangeela director clarified that his comments were not limited to Vijay’s film alone but reflected

a broader concern about the relevance of censorship in the digital age.

Ram Gopal Varma Reacts To Censor Board Restrictions

On X, Varma wrote that his views were not “in the context of just Jana Nayagan.” He stated, “It is truly foolish to think that the censor board is still relevant today.” The filmmaker further added, “It has long outlived it’s purpose, but it’s being kept alive out of laziness to debate it’s relevance now , and it is the film industry as a whole which is mainly responsible for this.”

Pointing to the realities of modern media consumption, Varma highlighted how digital platforms have made all kinds of content accessible to audiences of every age group. He remarked, “In this reality, for the honourable censor board to believe that cutting a word in a film, trimming a shot, or blurring a cigarette will ‘protect society,’ is a Joke.” Explaining the origins of censorship, he added, “The censor board was born in an era of scarcity when images were rare, access was limited, and the state controlled the media.”

‘Censorship Only Insults Viewers’

Taking aim at what he described as moral hypocrisy, Varma argued that censorship no longer serves its intended purpose. He wrote, “In such times as now, censorship doesn’t prevent exposure… it only insults the viewers. We are supposed to have smartness to decide who should rule us but not what we want to see or hear???” He further said, “What the censor board actually does now is not protection, but only theatrics. It’s a ritual of authority in Oscar worthy performances where scissors replace thinking, and moral pretence moves around in a disguise called responsibility.”

Calling hypocrisy “dangerous,” Varma pointed out, “The same society that freely scrolls through graphic violence on social media suddenly becomes ‘concerned’ when a filmmaker shows something in a theatre.” Emphasising the role of cinema, he wrote, “Cinema is not meant to be a classroom where lessons are taught. They are mirrors, view points, expressions and opinions meant to entertain.”

Varma concluded by stressing the importance of freedom of expression, stating, “Age classification makes sense. Warnings of the content makes sense. Censorship does not.” He added, “Continuing to defend the relevance of the censor board today is like insisting on a watchman for a building whose walls have already been broken and everyone can see what’s inside.” The filmmaker appealed to the industry to collectively question censorship, not just in response to a single film.

Besides Jana Nayagan, Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela’s Parasakthi also reportedly faced a tough CBFC screening, with over 20 cuts suggested before it was cleared for release.