Thalapathy Vijay’s Theri Re-Release Postponed Amid Jana Nayagan CBFC Row | Here's Why

The festive box office rush has claimed another casualty. Just days after uncertainty hit Jana Nayagan, the planned theatrical re-release of Theri has now been officially postponed, adding to the growing

confusion around the Sankranthi release window in Tamil cinema. The announcement came on Tuesday, when the makers confirmed that the Vijay starrer will not return to cinemas as planned. The decision follows the delay of Jana Nayagan, which is currently stuck in a legal battle involving the censor board. Why Theri was pushed back Production house V Creations shared a brief statement explaining the move. “As per the request from the producers of upcoming releases, we have decided to postpone the release of “Theri”,” the banner posted on social media. Soon after, producer Kalaipuli S Thanu addressed the media in Chennai. He revealed that several films were eyeing the same festive dates and that producers of those projects had approached him directly. With multiple releases lining up for Sankranthi, the decision was taken to step aside and avoid a box office clash. Directed by Atlee, Theri features Samantha and Amy Jackson and remains one of Vijay’s most popular commercial films. Sankranthi window gets crowded The delay of Jana Nayagan last week opened the door for several other Tamil films to move into the lucrative festival slot. Titles such as Vaa Vaathiyaar, Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimayil, and Draupadi 2 are now set to release on January 14 and 15. With theatres juggling multiple films and limited screens, the re-release of Theri was seen as an added pressure point, prompting the postponement. Jana Nayagan’s legal hurdle Meanwhile, the makers of Jana Nayagan have taken their fight to the Supreme Court. On Monday, they challenged the Madras High Court’s stay on a single judge’s order that had earlier favoured the film. The High Court had ruled against KVN Productions, directing the Central Board of Film Certification to hold back the film’s certificate. During the second hearing on January 9, the division bench put a temporary stay on the order that had asked the CBFC to issue a U/A certificate. The court also criticised the makers for announcing a release date without securing certification, calling it a move that created a “false sense of urgency”. Producers react to fans Following the delay, producer Venkat K Narayana shared a video message for fans, distributors, and exhibitors. He apologised to those who were expecting Jana Nayagan to release on time and said the delay was beyond the team’s control. He also spoke about Vijay’s place in Tamil cinema, saying the actor deserves a proper farewell for his decades of work. Jana Nayagan was originally scheduled to release on January 9 and had reportedly crossed Rs 50 crore in global advance bookings before the setback. The film is directed by H Vinoth and stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and Mamitha Baiju.