Jana Nayagan To Chakda Xpress: Why Are These Finished Projects Not Released Yet?

While Vijay’s Jana Nayagan has been delayed due to issues between producers and CBFC, here’s a look at other films that are completed but still stu...

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Several high-profile films including Vijay starrer Jana Nayagan, Anushka Sharma starrer Chakda Xpress, and a few other major projects continue to remain in limbo despite being completed. While production work on these films has already wrapped up, their theatrical or digital release dates are yet to be officially announced, leaving fans increasingly impatient.

From Jana Nayagan to Chakda Xpress, Gulkanda Tales and more, here’s a look at why these completed films are still stuck in limbo.

Jana Nayagan

Touted as Vijay’s final cinematic project before transitioning full time into politics, Jana Nayagan has been caught in a web of several hurdles. While it was initially slated for release on January 9, 2026, the film was postponed due to delays in granting

a censor certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the ensuing legal battle. In January, the producers shared a statement claiming that they had to postpone the decision due to ‘unavoidable circumstances’ beyond their control.

Chakda ‘Xpress

The shoot of Anushka Sharma starrer Chakda Xpress, a biopic on the Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami, was wrapped up in 2022. As per reports, the primary reason the film is currently on hold is a reported fallout between the streaming giant Netflix and the production house Clean Slate Filmz citing creative difference and budget issues. The project does not seem to be seeing the light of day anytime soon.

In February this year, director Prosit Roy expressed his heartbreak stating that the system didn’t give Chakda Xpress the chance it deserved. “Till today, the handful who saw the film during post keep telling me how much it stayed with them. That’s the real tragedy- it never got to reach everyone it was made for. We gave this film everything we had. Sadly, the system didn’t give it the chance it deserved,” he wrote.

Gulkanda Tales

After the success of Tumbbad, director Rahi Anil Barve’s Gulkanda Tales was highly anticipated by fans. The series was said to be a period comedy-drama for Amazon Prime starring Kunal Kemmu, Patralekha, Amit Mistry, and Zakir Hussain. A source close to the project shared with Bollywood Hungama, “The show has a satirical take on feminism and misogyny with a mix of Kamasutra-inspired comedy. But after multiple reshoots and edits, the final cut still didn’t sit well with the platform’s management.” While the series was announced in 2022, the comedy-period drama series is yet to see the light of day. Last year, multiple reports claimed that the streaming platform had shelved Gulkanda Tales, reportedly due to content concerns amid the current socio-political climate. There were also rumours of financial discrepancies in the show’s budgeting. Raj & DK responded to these claims and clarified that the show is very much in the works.

In February, Patralekhaa shared Rahi Anil Barve’s words an interview with Screen, in which he said, “After Tumbbad, I spent five years creating Gulkanda Tales. I gave my all, my life’s energy into it. I created one of the biggest OTT shows and now I can’t show a single image of it.” Patralekhaa, who stars in Gulkanda Tales, showed her support to the director and expressed her heartbreak over the show’s uncertain fate. She wrote, “Rahi Anil Barve, more power to you. Hope the audience gets to watch the magic that was created. I am truly heartbroken.”

Punjab ‘95

After nearly three years of waiting, Honey Trehan’s historical drama Punjab ’95, starring Diljit Dosanjh as human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, remains unreleased in India due to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanding extensive cuts. Earlier, Trehan told NDTV that the CBFC had requested 127 cuts, arguing that implementing them would leave little of the film intact. “I understood the pressure on producers to make these cuts, but I felt the film would no longer reflect my direction. If they are enforced, I would remove my name from the film,” he said.

Apart from these, films such as Pooja Meri Jan (starring Huma Qureshi, Mrunal Thakur and Vijay Raaz), Risky Romeo (Sunny Singh, Kriti Kharbanda), Section 84 (Amitabh Bachchan, Diana Penty and Nimrat Kaur), Woh Ladki Hain Kahaan (starring Taapsee Pannu and Pratik Gandhi) are some other films that are ready, but haven’t yet released.