Thalapathy Vijay’s much-awaited film Jana Nayagan has hit an unexpected roadblock just days before its planned release. The film was scheduled to arrive in theatres on January 9, 2026. However, it was postponed barely two days before release due to delays in getting the censor certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The sudden decision has left fans disappointed and the makers facing heavy losses.
What made the situation more dramatic was the fact that ticket bookings had already opened in select Indian theatres and overseas markets. Shows were planned. Screens were blocked. Promotions were in full swing. Then came the last-minute halt. According to reports, the Vijay starrer may suffer LOSSES close to Rs 50 cr due to the delay.
The distributors have now started issuing refunds. Still, the big question is – How badly will this postponement impact Jana Nayagan at the box office?
Jana Nayagan Pre-Sales Showed Massive Demand
When Vijay announced that Jana Nayagan would be his final film before entering politics full-time, excitement shot through the roof. As the release date came closer, demand exploded. In Chennai, some tickets reportedly sold for as high as Rs 5,000 in the black market. That alone showed the film’s opening-day potential.
As per Sacnilk, Jana Nayagan earned Rs 10.68 cr in India through pre-sales, including blocked seats. Given the inflated black-market prices, trade experts believe the actual opening-day potential could have been much higher.
The overseas numbers were even more striking. The film reportedly collected nearly Rs 32 cr internationally for the opening day alone. It outperformed all other Sankranti and Pongal releases in overseas markets. This included films scheduled around the same time, such as Prabhas’ The Raja Saab. Strong momentum was seen in North America, the UK, and Malaysia.
UK distributor Ahimsa Entertainment also shared its scale of release before announcing the postponement. The statement read, “We had charted 260+ theatres across the UK, thousands of shows, a record number of 12:30 am (6 am IST) premiere shows/locations for a Tamil film, and pre-sales trending at the same level as ‘LEO’ – with over 65,000 tickets sold as of today.”
CBFC Delay Sparks Controversy, Fans Support
The postponement has raised serious questions about the certification process. The makers had submitted the film to the CBFC on December 18 and completed the requested cuts by December 24. Despite this, there was no response for nearly 10 days. On January 5, the film was suddenly referred to a revising committee following a complaint about scenes involving the armed forces and religious sentiments.
Members of Vijay’s political party (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) accused the CBFC of deliberate delay. The Madras High Court also questioned the transparency of reopening the certification process, especially when the complaint reportedly came from someone who had not even seen the film. With the legal process still ongoing, KVN Productions officially postponed the film.
Amid the chaos, actor Ravi Mohan (who calls himself a Thalapathy Vijay fan) came out in strong support. Calling himself “heartbroken”, he wrote on X, “Anna… as a brother, I’m standing with you as one among the millions of brothers beside you. You don’t need a date… you are the opening. Whenever that date is… Pongal only starts then.”
Jana Nayagan now awaits a new release date. The makers have assured fans that the film will hit theatres once the CBFC issue is resolved.
