After months of uncertainty, ‘Jana Nayagan’ is finally gearing up for its worldwide release on July 23. The film, starring Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Vijay: in what is expected to be his last film before his full-time political journey, was originally planned for a Pongal release. However, the project remained stuck for almost six months due to delays in getting the censor certificate. As the release date is set, director H Vinoth has come out with information on the various hurdles his team faced delaying the film, how to overcome the problem, and also addressed the controversy surrounding the leaked version of the film.
H: Vinoth: reveals why the release of ‘Jana Nayagan’ was delayed
Talking about the censor process in an interview with Cinema Vikatan, H Vinoth said that the team started the certification work earlier than usual. “Normally, we start the censor process about 10 days before the release. This time, we started almost 20 days in advance. The board immediately looked at the film and told us that there is no issue with the film itself. They agreed to give us a U/A 16+ certificate if we remove some violent scenes. We have accepted their suggestions and started making changes,” he said.The director explained that the edits involved CGI work, which required an extra day. “After those changes, we came back with the updated version. At that point, we were asked to make some more edits. We agreed to that too. But when we tried to upload the revised version, we could not access the online portal. We informed them through phone calls and emails and even contacted the head office,” added Vinoth.
H Vinoth says uncertainty in the censor process added to the delay
According to: H. Vinothit was later learned that a complaint had been filed against the film, resulting in the process being halted. “We were told that the portal was blocked because of a complaint received against the film. At that time, theaters, distributors and fans have already spent a large amount of money to prepare for the release. We have to answer everything, but we ourselves do not know whether the film will receive its certificate or not,” he said.He added that the team decided to approach the court only after repeated attempts to get an explanation failed. “We did not receive even a permission or a rejection. Only after filing the case we received a response saying that the film will be re-examined. I believe that the problem is not with the Censor Board. There may be other reasons behind the delay, but without evidence, I will not name anyone. The law has its own powers, and I do not want to make allegations without evidence,” He Vinoth said.
H Vinoth also responded to the ‘Jana Nayagan’ leak controversy
Apart from the censor’s delay, H Vinoth also opened up about the film’s piracy issue and explained why Vijay chose not to react publicly. “Vijay sir did not tweet because it became unnecessary criticism. We handled it legally, found the person responsible, and he is now behind the bars. Bail has not been granted yet,” the director said. He further clarified that the leak was considered a legal matter and was investigated by the police after a complaint was filed. “I think Vijay sir did not involve himself because it would have skewed the matter and led to criticism,” Vinoth added. With the censor hurdles and piracy controversy now behind them, ‘Jana Nayagan’ is all set for its much-anticipated theatrical release on July 23, with fans eagerly waiting to see Vijay’s last film on the big screen.