The Madras High Court on Tuesday heard the case between the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and KVN Productions, the producers of Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, and stayed the order temporarily.
The dispute arose because the CBFC questioned why the producers announced the film’s release date before obtaining certification. In response, the producers argued that Dhruandhar 2 had followed a similar practice, highlighting that many films announce release dates ahead of certification. They pointed out that Jana Nayagan has already been certified in 22 countries and claimed it’s common industry practice not to wait for certification before setting a release date.
Key Highlights of the Hearing:
- CBFC’s Argument: The board, represented by Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, said that announcing a release date in advance could lead to financial losses (as cited earlier, a ₹500 crore potential loss) and challenged the producers’ approach.
- Producers’ Argument: Senior Advocate Satish Parasaran countered that announcing release dates prior to certification is standard in the film industry. He specifically cited Dhruandhar 2, which had its release date set for March 19, before its certification was completed.
- Previous HC Orders:
- On Jan 5, the producers approached the HC after CBFC referred the film to the revising committee (which could take 20 days).
- Jan 7: HC reserved judgment.
- Jan 9: A single judge directed CBFC to grant certification.
- CBFC challenged this order, leading to the second hearing.
- Supreme Court Involvement: The SC refused to intervene, advising the producers to seek relief from the HC instead.
This case is being closely watched as it could set a precedent for whether producers can publicly announce release dates before CBFC certification in India.