Fake 'A' Certificate for Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' Goes Viral; Makers Yet to Receive CBFC Clearance

Rumours surrounding the CBFC certification of H. Vinoth's much-delayed film Jana Nayagan spread rapidly on Saturday after a fake censor certificate surfaced online, falsely claiming that the Vijay-starrer had been awarded an 'A' certificate following a seven-month delay.

The fake certificate, widely shared on social media, claimed the film had been certified on Friday with a runtime of three hours. It also listed several alleged modifications ordered by the CBFC, including muting abusive language, trimming visuals of "Collector Shanmugam", reducing blood splatter and editing violent scenes.

However, it was later confirmed that the certificate was fabricated and that Jana Nayagan has not yet been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The fan account that first shared the document later deleted the post and issued an apology, stating, "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. The previously shared #JanaNayagan certificate was fake."

While production house KVN Productions has not issued an official statement on the rumours, the film continues to await CBFC clearance. Speaking to the media in May, producer Venkat K. Narayana had said, "As I told, we're waiting for the certificate to come. I am sure that they're going to give it anytime soon."

Seven-month certification delay

The delay dates back to December 19, 2025, when Jana Nayagan was first submitted to the CBFC ahead of its scheduled January 9 release. After being asked to make certain changes, the makers resubmitted the film in January but claimed they received no further communication from the certification board.

The matter eventually reached court, where the CBFC stated that the film had been referred to a revising committee after a member of the examining committee raised objections. However, the makers did not receive immediate relief, leaving the film's release indefinitely delayed.

The controversy deepened in April when an HD print of the film leaked online. The pirated copy was widely circulated before being taken down, leading to multiple arrests, including that of a freelance editor associated with another film.

There were later reports that Jana Nayagan, widely billed as Vijay's final film before his full-time entry into politics, would release around the actor-politician's birthday in June. However, those plans also failed to materialise.

Since then, Vijay has contested and won the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. His party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), formed the government, ending the long-standing dominance of the state's traditional Dravidian parties, and he took oath as the Chief Minister in May.