15 January,2026 12:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Thalapathy Vijay
The makers of Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan did not receive relief from the Supreme Court on Thursday when their plea was taken up for hearing.KVN productions had filed a plea challenging the stay on film's release and CBFC certification by the division bench of Madras High Court. The Supreme Court refused to entertain the plea and asked the Madras HC to make the decision on January 20, 2026.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, which questioned the pace at which the case was dealt in the Madras High Court, asked the film producers to approach the division bench of the high court for relief.
The top court also asked the Madras High Court to decide the plea on January 20 after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the producers, said a film is a perishable item, and it would cause "serious injury" if the matter is delayed.
On January 9, the Madras High Court stayed a single judge's order directing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to immediately grant a censor certificate to "Jana Nayagan", leaving the fate of actor-turned-politician Vijay's film, which has drawn attention for its political overtones, in limbo. KVN Productions LLP filed an appeal against the order passed by a division bench of the high court last Friday.
Vijay recently launched his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Jana Nayagan, which is widely publicised as Vijay's final film before his full-fledged entry into politics, was slated for a Pongal release on January 9. However, the film ran into last-minute hurdles after the CBFC did not issue certification in time.
Just days after uncertainty hit Jana Nayagan, the planned theatrical re-release of Theri has now been officially postponed. "As per the request from the producers of upcoming releases, we have decided to postpone the release of Theri," shared V Creations on social media.
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.
Jana Nayagan features Vijay in the lead, alongside Mamitha Baiju, Pooja Hegde, Prakash Raj, Bobby Deol, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and Priyamani. The film is significant as Vijay's final cinematic release before his full-time entry into politics.
