Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 30 : The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Friday filed a caveat application seeking to be heard before the top court passes any order on the ongoing matter regarding the release and certification of the film Jana Nayagan. Anticipating that KVN Productions, the maker of the Tamil film starring actor Vijay, may move the Supreme Court seeking the film's certification to ensure its release.
The Madras High Court on January 27 set aside an earlier order passed by a single-judge bench (of the High Court) which directed the CBFC to grant Jana Nayagan the U/A certification.
The filmmaker KVN Productions may move the apex court to challenge the High Court's decision, which had impeded the release of its film, due to release on January 9.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Madras High Court allowed an appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), setting aside a single-judge order granting a U/A certificate to actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Thalapathy Vijay's film 'Jana Nayagan'.
The bench held that the single judge ought to have granted time to the CBFC to file its counter-affidavit before passing the order.
Accordingly, the matter has been remanded to the single-judge bench for a fresh hearing, with the observation that the film's producer is at liberty to amend the prayer in the writ petition.
This came a week after the Madras High Court reserved its order on the appeal. A division bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan was hearing the matter.
The developments come in the wake of the Madras HC's single bench judgement, which directed the CBFC to issue a 'U/A 16+' certificate for the film, providing temporary relief to the producers.
The movie was scheduled for release on January 9, but the CBFC did not grant clearance, stating it had been referred to the Revising Committee. K Venkat Narayana, the producer, moved the Madras High Court earlier with an urgent plea seeking directions to the CBFC to grant certification.
However, the CBFC moved a division bench of the High Court, which stayed the single judge's order on January 9.
Earlier, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea filed by the makers of the Tamil film seeking a stay on the Madras High Court order that halted the film's certification process.
'Jana Nayagan' was planned for a Pongal release on January 9 and is being described as Vijay's last film before he fully steps into politics. The actor has recently launched his own political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The film ran into trouble when the CBFC decided to withhold certification on the grounds that certain scenes could hurt religious sentiments.