CHENNAI: Actor Vijay’s Jana Nayagan will not be released for this Pongal. The first bench of Madras high court on Friday stayed an order passed by a single judge earlier in the day directing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a censor certificate for theatre release of the movie forthwith.The first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan passed the order on an appeal moved by the CBFC soon after the single judge passed the order.
The bench passed the order on the ground that the CBFC was not granted sufficient time to respond to the plea moved by KVN Productions LLP, and that the letter referring the film to the revising committee was quashed, while the same was not challenged by the producer.The court remarked that the producer of the film was creating urgency and putting pressure on the court after announcing the release date even before obtaining the censor certificate.“How can you go ahead with the release of the film without even getting a certificate on hand? You cannot fix a date for release and put pressure on the system,” the bench said.“Though the producer submitted that the order was passed by the single judge in extreme urgency, as the film was scheduled to be screened on Jan 9, we are not impressed by the submission because it is an admitted position on record that no certification was actually granted in favour of the producer,” the court said.Representing the CBFC, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the single judge cannot order a relief that was not sought. The referral order of the chairperson of the CBFC to the revising committee was not challenged. Yet the single judge quashed it, he said.Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for the producer submitted that it was shocking that a member of the CBFC committee that reviewed the film filed a complaint against granting a certificate for the film. To this, Tushar Mehta pointed out that only members of the committee had seen the film.Recording the submissions, the bench passed the interim orders and adjourned the hearing to Jan 20.
