Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Union government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of misusing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to target and delay the release of major Tamil films, including Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan and Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi.
While Parasakthi is scheduled for release on January 10, Jana Nayagan has been stalled following a legal and certification impasse with the CBFC. The controversy has triggered a political storm in the state, with the Chief Minister alleging institutional interference and political vendetta.
Notably, Parasakthi is being presented by Inban Udhayanidhi, Stalin’s grandson, through Red Giant Movies, a production and distribution house founded and long headed by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. However, the Chief Minister dismissed any suggestion of personal interest and squarely blamed the Centre for what he described as a systematic misuse of constitutional institutions.
Taking aim at the BJP, Stalin alleged that the CBFC has now joined the list of central agencies allegedly being weaponised by the ruling party. In a post on social media platform X, he said
Stalin strongly criticised the functioning of the CBFC, accusing it of acting under political pressure rather than adhering to statutory norms and artistic freedom.
The DMK leader’s remarks come amid mounting controversy over certification hurdles faced by some of the most anticipated Tamil films of 2026. Jana Nayagan, which was originally slated for release on January 9, had to be postponed after the CBFC withheld its certificate.
Although a single-judge bench of the Madras High Court had earlier cleared the way for the film’s certification, a division bench later stayed the order, resulting in uncertainty over the film’s theatrical release.
Jana Nayagan is being widely described as Thalapathy Vijay’s final film before his full-scale entry into active politics, further intensifying the political overtones surrounding the delay. According to reports, the CBFC’s examining committee initially granted the film a U/A certificate, which was subsequently withdrawn following a complaint raised by a member of the revising committee. The film was then referred back for further review.
The developments have sparked a broader debate in Tamil Nadu over artistic freedom, censorship, and alleged political interference in creative expression, with the DMK accusing the Centre of stifling dissent and targeting cinema that carries political or social undertones.
As the controversy deepens, industry observers and political analysts alike are watching closely to see whether the certification impasse signals a larger pattern of control over cinema ahead of a politically significant year.
