As the release of Jana Nayagan, actor Thalapathy Vijay’s final film, faces delays due to certification issues, veteran actor-politician Kamal Haasan has called for greater transparency and accountability
from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Speaking on X, he emphasised the need for clearly defined timelines and reasoned justifications for every suggested edit.
“India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, guided by reason and never diminished by opacity. This moment is larger than any one film; it reflects the space we accord art and artists in a constitutional democracy,” Kamal Haasan wrote.
He also highlighted the collaborative nature of filmmaking, stating, “Cinema is not the labour of an individual alone, but the collective work of an ecosystem of writers, technicians, performers, exhibitors, and small businesses whose livelihoods depend on a fair and timely process.”
For Art, For Artists, For the Constitution pic.twitter.com/sOrlOOLFtv
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) January 10, 2026
Kamal further pointed out that audiences deserve respect and openness from regulatory institutions. “What is required now is a principled relook at certification processes with defined timelines, transparent evaluation, and written, reasoned justification for every suggested cut or edit,” he added. He also called on the industry to engage constructively with government bodies to protect creative freedom and uphold constitutional values.
His statement comes a day after the Madras High Court postponed the hearing on Jana Nayagan to January 21, delaying its certification and forcing the film to miss the crucial Pongal release window. The production team is currently contesting the CBFC for the delay, which has prevented the release of the movie despite months of anticipation.
The situation recalls similar last-minute hurdles faced by Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi, which received its censor certificate only a day before release and required 25 cuts, earning a U/A rating. Speaking to India Today, Sivakarthikeyan explained the challenges of implementing changes under tight deadlines:
“We received the changes at the last minute. After that, we had to make the suggested changes and upload them to QUBE. Our main focus was to release the film as we were chasing a release date. The Censor Board functions according to their own regulations, and we didn’t have time to analyse whether it was an advantage or disadvantage,” he said.
He added, “If we had more time, we might have explained to them the context of certain dialogues that they asked us to mute. We were running after a release date, so we ensured that the core of the story remained unaffected while implementing the cuts.” The team reportedly had only 10 hours to execute the mandated edits.
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan marks Vijay’s final cinematic outing before entering politics. The film recently held a grand audio launch in Malaysia, attended by over 75,000 fans. With an estimated budget of Rs 500 crore, it was poised to be the biggest Sankranti release of the year, but the postponed certification has disrupted its festive release plans.
