After waiting for a long time, ‘Jana Nayagan’ has got its censor certificate, removing the last hurdle before its theatrical release. Directed by H. Vinoth, the Vijay-starrer was awarded an ‘A’ certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The approval, however, came only after they agreed to make several modifications to dialogues and visuals. The film, which marks Vijay’s final outing before his full-time political career, has been one of the most talked-about Tamil releases of the year, making the censor edits a major talking point among fans.
12 edits that led to ‘Jana Nayagan’ CBFC certification
According to Hindustan Times, the CBFC directed the makers to implement 12 major edits before granting certification. The changes reportedly include muting or modifying all references to TVK (Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam), removing a scene with the Indian national flag, changing a dialogue involving Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and changing a book cover featuring his image. Religious references such as “Bhagavathan,” “Ranganathar,” and “OM” were also muted in certain scenes. Soon after the details surfaced online, fans reacted strongly. One user wrote, “At least the film is finally releasing. That’s all that matters now.” Another commented, “We’ve waited for months. A few edits won’t stop us from watching Vijay’s last film.”
Political dialogues and visuals among the key edits in Vijay’s film
The report further stated that the CBFC also muted a dialogue referring to Saddam Hussein‘s execution and another line that translated to “I am holding a secret celebration in India.” A visual featuring a District Collector’s office badge was removed, while another objectionable dialogue was muted entirely. A child-burning visual was reportedly replaced, and the name “Sheela Rani” was changed wherever it appeared in the film. Fans, meanwhile, continued to express excitement despite the edits. “The censor cuts don’t reduce our excitement. We just want to experience Jana Nayagan on the big screen,” wrote one fan, while another posted, “After so many hurdles, July 24 can’t come soon enough.” Overall, the changes reportedly amount to around 20 seconds of cuts and 10 seconds of replacements, while the runtime remains 183 minutes and 11 seconds.
‘Jana Nayagan’ delay finally ends as release draws closer
‘Jana Nayagan’ was originally expected to hit theatres during the Pongal season earlier this year, but the certification process was delayed after objections were raised over certain scenes. The makers later approached the court seeking clearance, while the film also faced another setback when HD prints were leaked online before release. Despite the difficulties faced, the film has finally received its censor certificate, paving the way for its theatrical premiere. Starring Vijay, Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj and Mamitha Baiju, the political action drama is now expected to arrive in theatres on July 24, with fans eagerly counting down to what has been billed as Vijay’s farewell film.
