Jana Nayagan Postponed Amid Censor Row; Records India's Largest Ticket Refund

Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan has been officially postponed from its January 9 release date due to a delay in obtaining the Indian censor certificate. This late-stage rescheduling has triggered the largest refund process in Indian film history. While international markets have already cleared the film, the domestic deadlock has prompted widespread support from the film fraternity and shifted the box office focus toward other festive releases like Prabhas's The Raja Saab. According to industry trackers and ticketing platforms, BookMyShow has begun the monumental task of refunding over 450,000 tickets. This marks the first time a film of this magnitude has had to cancel and repay such a massive volume of pre-booked seats simultaneously. While the film has already been cleared for release in 25 countries internationally, the pending status of the censor certificate in India has made a Pongal release legally impossible. Trade analysts suggest that the earliest the film could now hit screens is January 22nd or 23rd, 2026. The sudden delay of Jana Nayagan has brought the film fraternity together to back Vijay during this crisis. Actor Ravi Mohan (Jayam Ravi) expressed his support on X, stating that Vijay himself is the opening and the festive season essentially begins whenever he arrives on screen. He emphasized that he stands with the star as one among millions of supporters, regardless of the change in schedule. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})   Director Karthik Subbaraj criticized the current regulatory environment, noting that the required three-month lead time for censor completion is unrealistic for big-budget films finishing post-production. He warned that these rigid timelines are killing cinema, citing that other major releases like Parasakthi are already experiencing similar booking disruptions. Meanwhile, Sibi Sathyaraj offered a more hopeful perspective, encouraging fans to remain patient and viewing these administrative challenges as the buildup to a massive eventual success. The exit of Jana Nayagan from the Pongal race has significantly altered the theatrical landscape. As reported earlier, Prabhas's The Raja Saab is the immediate beneficiary, with theaters across Tamil Nadu and overseas shifting prime shows and extra screens to the horror-comedy to accommodate the holiday crowd. For Vijay fans, the wait for the People's Leader continues. While the financial hit from refunds is historic, the surging emotional support from the industry suggests that when Jana Nayagan finally arrives, it may witness an opening unlike any seen before.