Overview
- Producers have challenged a Madras High Court division bench stay in the Supreme Court, with the plea listed for a mid-January hearing.
- An examining panel recommended a U/A certificate after suggested cuts in December, but the CBFC withheld the certificate and sent the film to a revising committee citing objections.
- Rahul Gandhi called the delay an attack on Tamil culture and accused the I&B Ministry of blocking the film, while MoS L. Murugan and BJP figures denied any central interference.
- The film’s January 9 Pongal release was postponed, with strong advance bookings reported at over Rs 50 crore and significant commercial stakes for stakeholders.
- Vijay’s TVK termed Gandhi’s public backing a friendly gesture as the row intensifies around the actor’s final film before a full-time political plunge.