CHENNAI: The OTT rights of actor Vijay’s upcoming film Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth, have reportedly been cancelled amid an ongoing censor dispute, according to Thanthi TV.
According to reports, the streaming platform that had purchased the digital rights for Rs 120 crore has withdrawn from the deal following the controversy.
The film is now expected to be released only after the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had withheld actor Vijay’s final film Jana Nayagan's censor certificate ahead of its January 9 release after objections were raised by an examining committee member over scenes allegedly hurting religious sentiments and the portrayal of the armed forces, referring it to a revising committee.
While a single judge of the Madras High Court initially directed the CBFC to certify the film, the order was stayed by a division bench the same day, the Supreme Court then declined to intervene, and later, the matter was remitted to the single judge for fresh consideration.
The division bench had also noted that the single judge should not have set aside the CBFC chairperson’s order when it had not been challenged by the production company.
The court then granted the producer liberty to modify its plea before the single judge and challenge the chairperson’s order referring the film for review.
However, weeks after the ruling, the production house did not pursue the case before the single judge. Instead, it informed the registry that the film had been submitted for re-examination by the censor authorities and that it did not wish to continue the litigation.