Rahul Gandhi’s Support to Vijay’s Film give Twist to Tamil Nadu Political Alliances

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Jan 13: Even as the Supreme Court is slated to hear on January 13 a plea by the producer of the actor-turned-politician Vijay-starrer Tamil film “Jana Nayagan,” the support extended by the senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the release of the film has added a new twist to the future of Tamil Nadu politics ahead of the Assembly elections in the state due in the next few months.

The KVN Productions LLP, the producer of the film, on Tuesday filed a petition in the apex court challenging the interim order of the division bench of the Madras High Court staying the order of the single-judge bench of the High Court to grant Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance to the film. According to the cause list of the Supreme Court, the matter is likely to come up for hearing on January 19. The Bench is yet to be assigned.

Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the petition, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, voiced his support for the release of the film attacking the BJP government at the Centre. Mr Gandhi said the attempt to delay Jana Nayagan through the CBFC was an attack on Tamil culture.

He also said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be able to silence the voice of the Tamil people. “Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people,” he added. The stand fits into his larger political argument that key national institutions are under pressure from the BJP and RSS. The timing of the tweet was also important.

It came on a day when he was in Gudalur in Niligiris for Pongal celebrations, marking his first public programme after returning from Vietnam. The message carried both political weight and cultural symbolism. His post has not only backed Vijay at a sensitive time, but has also strengthened speculation that the Congress may be open to exploring a political understanding with Vijay’s party, TVK, even as it remains closely linked with the DMK.

“Jana Nayagan,” starring Vijay’s political actioner, was supposed to release on January 9, 2026. However, it failed to clear censor and the production house moved the Madras High Court. When a single judge Bench asked the CBFC to grant U/A 16+ rating, the censor board obtained a stay from the Division Bench. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.

Congress leaders Manickam Tagore, Jothimani, Praveen Chakravarty, and AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Girish Chodankar, have earlier criticised the CBFC and called it an attack on freedom of expression and as an instance of the growing politicisation of statutory institutions.

K Venkat Narayana of KVN Productions, the banner behind the film, apologised to the superstar’s fans for the delay in release of the movie. “To everyone who waited for Jana Nayagan, we express our sincere gratitude,” begins Venkat in a video. “We have received countless calls and messages and it shows how deeply people love this film.”

The producer goes on to explain the events that took place before the film took the legal route. “We submitted the movie for censorship on December 18, 2025. On December 22, 2025, we got a response from the CBFC that it would be granted U/A 16+ subject to a few changes. We incorporated the changes and re-submitted the movie.”

“We were awaiting the formal certificate and multiple follow ups were made from our end. On January 05, just four days before our planned release, we were told that the movie had been referred to the revising committee based on a complaint. With time running out to approach the revising committee and without no knowledge about the complainant, we approached the honourable High Court,” he explains.

Venkat added that after multiple hearings, the court issued a U/A rating which was challenged by the CBFC. “The certification has been stayed but I thank audiences, distributors and stakeholders who have cooperated with us. We tried every possible way to release the movie on time. It’s an extremely emotional and difficult moment for all of us who have put immense hard work into the movie,” he said.

The Jana Nayagan issue itself has become larger than a film controversy. The movie has faced certification hurdles, legal scrutiny and delayed clearance after objections and disputes linked to its content. The matter has seen arguments in court and back-and-forth between the makers and authorities, turning it into a political flashpoint. Earlier, Congress leaders had spoken in support of the filmmakers, saying creative freedom should not be curbed. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin too had backed the principle that films should not be unfairly targeted and had voiced concern about what he described as political pressure affecting artistic space. This broader context made Rahul Gandhi’s intervention even more politically loaded.

Inside the Congress, the post has now led to fresh discussion on strategy in Tamil Nadu. A section of leaders believes the party should seriously consider building a relationship with TVK. They think Vijay’s popularity, especially among young people and first-time voters, could give the Congress a new political advantage. Early feedback within the party suggests that campaigns led by both Vijay and Rahul Gandhi might connect strongly with people on the ground and could change the mood in the state.

However, not everyone in the Congress agrees with this view. Many senior leaders feel the party should stand by its long-term alliance with the DMK. They say the partnership has brought stability, relevance and political benefit over many years. According to them, experimenting with a new formation, however exciting it may appear, also brings risk. They argue that instead of moving away, the Congress should use the current situation to negotiate better space and a stronger role within the existing alliance.

The Congress and the DMK have shared a long and sometimes complicated relationship, but it has mostly remained steady. At the same time, Tamil Nadu politics has been changing since the passing of J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. This has created space for new political forces. Vijay is seen as a potential new player who can influence voters through both star power and political messaging. His growing assertiveness has made him an unpredictable but important figure to watch.

The Congress is expected to conduct a detailed survey in the coming weeks to understand public opinion, alliance preferences and ground realities. The results are likely to guide the party’s final stand. Only then will it become clear whether Rahul Gandhi’s tweet was simply support for a popular actor facing political and legal pressure or the first signal of a serious rethink in the Congress strategy in Tamil Nadu.