Chennai:
Actor-politician C Joseph Vijay has bid adieu to films after taking the plunge in public life and taking charge as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister following his two-year-old party TVK’s stunning win in the recent Assembly polls.
But he has unfinished business and has reportedly instructed ‘Jana Nayagan’ producer Venkat K Narayana to return to Chennai from the Cannes Film Festival and focus on the film’s release. Billed as Vijay’s farewell film, the release of ‘Jana Nayagan’ has been held up after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) denied clearance.
The film, reportedly made on a staggering Rs 500-crore budget, has been facing prolonged delays over CBFC certification, legal hurdles and piracy-related issues.
Now, Vijay has personally reached out to producer Venkat of KVN Productions and asked him to return from Cannes without delay, India Today reported.
The producer was attending screenings and business meetings at Cannes, but Vijay is said to have insisted on his presence in Chennai to closely oversee the final phase of ‘Jana Nayagan’s release preparations.
Helmed by H Vinoth, ‘Jana Nayagan’ was originally slated for a Pongal 2026 release. However, the film encountered CBFC hurdles owing to its politically charged narrative and themes.
As per reports, officials raised concerns over the possible impact of the film’s political messaging during the election season, following which the project was reportedly sent to a Revising Committee for an additional review.
The certification process, however, is said to have slowed considerably after that.
A key screening planned for March was allegedly called off at the eleventh hour after one of the committee members fell ill, adding to the uncertainty over the film’s release timeline.
The makers reportedly suffered another major blow in April when a high-definition version of the film was leaked online.
The piracy incident is believed to have caused substantial financial losses to the production.
Cyber Crime Police arrested nine people in connection with the leak, including a freelance editor allegedly involved in the case. The leak reportedly impacted the film’s OTT prospects as well.
Prime Video was said to be negotiating a digital rights deal worth nearly Rs 120 crore, but the valuation dropped sharply after the pirated print surfaced online, sources said.
The film stars Bobby Deol as the antagonist and Pooja Hegde as the female lead, alongside Mamitha Baiju, Prakash Raj and Gautham Vasudev Menon in pivotal roles.
