The highly anticipated movie Jana Nayagan starring Thalapathy Vijay has been delayed due to the ongoing dispute over certification delays. The movie's European and Malaysian distributors verified the news in a post on X on January 7. The movie was originally supposed to be released on January 9.

The announcement was made in a post on X by the film's international distributor, RFT Films. "Release postponed" and "Even a lion takes two steps back before the final leap" were the captions on the movie's poster.

Since the Central Board of Film Certification has not yet approved the film, the postponement has increased attention to the regulatory procedure for movie releases. The producers sought immediate relief from the Madras High Court in the absence of certification. In this case, the court has postponed making a decision.

The delay coincides with Tamil Nadu theaters starting to sell Jana Nayagan tickets in advance, causing an unprecedented rush. According to reports, tickets were sold for up to Rs 5,000 on the black market, which is significantly more than the government-mandated cap of Rs 190 per ticket.

"I've been running from one theatre to another and contacting fan clubs to get hold of the first-day first-show tickets of Jana Nayagan," a fan described the frenzy. For me, watching Vijay's movies on the first day has become a ritual. However, the demand is so great this year that the price per ticket is Rs 5,000.

Jananayagan, directed by H Vinoth, stars Mamitha Baiju, Prakash Raj, Pooja Hegde, and Vijay in the title role.

On December 18, the producers submitted the movie for certification after finishing all post-production work. The censor board's examining committee reportedly recommended the removal of some scenes and the muting of some dialogue the next day, on December 19.

In its court filing, the production company claimed that the censor certificate had not yet been granted even after all of the modifications suggested by the board members had been put into practice.