Even as ‘Jana Nayagan’ continues its successful run in theatres, the film has now landed in legal trouble. A petition seeking an interim stay on the screening of Vijay‘s much-talked-about film came up for hearing before the Madras High Court. While the petitioner requested an immediate halt to the film’s exhibition and a review of its censor certificate, the court did not pass any stay order. Instead, it directed the concerned parties to file their responses before the next hearing.

Petitioner seeks review of censor certificate over village portrayal

As reported by Nakkheeran, the case was filed as a public interest litigation by Chinnasamy, a resident of Usilampatti in Madurai district. The petition has alleged that some scenes in the film ‘Jana Nayagan’ have defamed the people of Pappapatti village. The petitioner submitted that the court may direct the authorities to re-examine the censor certificate of the film, to delete the objectionable scenes and to temporarily stop the screening of the film in theatres till the matter is examined. The plea argued that the disputed portions should be reconsidered before the film continues its theatrical run.

High Court asks CBFC, producer and director to file replies

After hearing the matter, the bench ordered the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), along with the film’s producer and director, to submit their replies to the allegations raised in the petition. The court chose not to grant an interim ban at this stage and instead sought responses from all the concerned parties before taking any further decision. The matter has now been posted for its next hearing on August 6.

Fresh legal hurdle for Vijay’s farewell film

‘Jana Nayagan,’ widely promoted as Vijay’s final film before his full-time political journey, finally hit theatres on July 23 after facing months of delays over certification-related issues. The film has received a strong response from fans and has been performing well at the box office. But the film’s eventful release journey has taken another turn with the latest court proceedings. All eyes will now be on the next hearing where the High Court will hear the replies from the CBFC and the filmmakers and decide the way forward.