5 months ago
3
A Division Bench of the Madras High Court, connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026), reserved its orders connected a writ entreaty filed by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) against a single judge’s bid directing it to contented U/A 16+ certificate for histrion Vijay’s most-anticipated past movie Jana Nayagan.
The archetypal Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan deferred their verdict aft proceeding the arguments precocious by Additional Solicitor General AR.L. Sundaresan for the CBFC and elder counsel Satish Parasaran, assisted by Vijayan Subramanian, for KVN Productions LLP.
The Bench completed proceeding the marathon arguments connected the writ entreaty connected Tuesday since the Supreme Court, portion refusing to interfere with the interim stay granted to the azygous judge’s bid by the Bench connected January 9, had requested it to marque an endeavour to instrumentality an aboriginal determination connected the appeal.
The accumulation steadfast had filed a writ petition earlier a azygous justice of the High Court connected January 6 claiming that the CBFC’s examining committee had watched the movie connected December 19 and recommended issuance of U/A 16+ certification if the shaper agrees to carries retired definite excisions.
All those excisions were carried retired and the movie was re-submitted connected December 24, 2025. However, acting connected the ground of a ailment sent by 1 of the 5 members of the examining committee regarding the lack of an adept from the Army successful the committee, the CBFC enactment the process connected clasp connected December 29.
Thereafter, a determination was taken connected January 5, 2026 to notation the movie to a nine-member revising committee and the determination of the CBFC president was uploaded connected the ‘e-cine pramaan’ portal connected January 6 erstwhile the the writ petition was heard by the azygous justice who ordered accumulation of records connected January 7.
After the perusing the records connected January 7, the azygous justice passed orders connected January 9 quashing the CBFC chairman’s determination and directed the committee to contented the U/A 16+ certificate forthwith. Immediately, the CBFC filed an urgent writ entreaty earlier the Division Bench and obtained an interim stay.
Though the accumulation location took the interim enactment bid connected entreaty to the Supreme Court, the second refused to interfere with the bid and requested the Division Bench to marque an endeavour to dispose of the writ entreaty astatine the earliest.
Single judge’s reasoning
In her bid connected the writ petition, Justice P.T. Asha had pointed retired the five-member examining committee of the CBFC had watched the movie connected December 19, 2025 and each the members had uananimously recommended issuance of U/A 16+ certificate to it aft listing retired the excisions required to beryllium made. This determination was besides communicated to the accumulation location connected December 22.
The producers accepted the recommendation, carried retired each the required excisions and re-submitted the edited mentation connected December 24. Subsequently, the accumulation location was informed connected December 29 that the Board had decided to contented U/A certificate. However, connected January 5, successful a abrupt volte face, the Regional Officer of CBFC claimed the president had decided to notation the movie to a revising committee.
The crushed cited for specified a determination taken by the president was a ailment received regarding the portrayal of scenes related to the equipped forces successful the movie but the lack of immoderate adept subordinate connected the taxable successful the examining committee. When Justice Asha wanted to cognize who was the complainant, she was told it was 1 of the 5 members of the examining committee who had lodged the complaint.
Expressing surprise, the justice wondered however could the subordinate lodge specified a ailment aft the producers had carried retired each the changes that were suggested by him aft watching the movie. “It is truthful crystal wide that the complainant’s grievance that helium had not been granted an accidental appears to beryllium an afterthought and appears motivated,” the justice wrote successful her order.
She besides went connected to state: “Such a volte look by a subordinate of an examining committee, who had made a proposal aft viewing and assimilating the film, would springiness emergence to a unsafe inclination of members reneging connected their proposal and the sanctity placed connected the determination of the examining committee of the CBFC would basal eroded.”
