After a long wait, ‘Jana Nayagan’ has got its censor certificate, clearing the last hurdle before its theatrical release. Directed by: H. Vinoththe: Vijay:-starrer has been awarded an ‘A’ certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The approval, however, came only after they agreed to make many changes to the dialogues and visuals. The film, which marks Vijay’s last outing before his full-time career in politics, was one of the most talked about Tamil releases of the year, making the censor edit a major talking point among fans.
12 iterations leading to ‘Jana Nayagan’ CBFC certification
According to Hindustan Times, the CBFC has directed the makers to implement 12 major edits before giving certification. The changes reportedly include muting or changing all references to TVK (Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam), removing a scene with the Indian national flag, changing a dialogue involving Dr BR Ambedkar, and changing a book cover featuring his image. Religious references like “Bhagavathan,” “Ranganathar,” and “OM” are also muted in some scenes. Soon after the details surfaced online, fans reacted strongly. One user wrote, “At least the film is finally out. That’s all that matters now.” Another commented, “We’ve been waiting for months. A few edits won’t stop us from watching Vijay’s last film.”
Political and visual dialogues among the key edits in Vijay’s film
The report further states that the CBFC has also muted a dialogue aimed at: Saddam Hussein‘s execution and another line that translates to “I am holding a secret celebration in India.” A visual showing the badge of the District Collector’s office has been removed, while another bad dialogue has been completely muted. A child on fire 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. “Censor cuts do not diminish 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.” In total, the changes reportedly amount to about 20 seconds of cuts and 10 seconds of replacements, while the runtime remains 183 minutes and 11 seconds.
The delay of ‘Jana Nayagan’ has come to an end as the release nears
‘Jana Nayagan’ was originally expected to hit the theaters during Pongal earlier this year, but the certification process got delayed after objections were raised over some scenes. The makers later approached the court to seek clearance, while the film also faced another setback when the HD prints were leaked online before release. Despite the difficulties faced, the film 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 expected to hit theaters on July 24, with fans eagerly counting down to Vijay’s so-called farewell film.