Hyderabad | January 12, 2026
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has reignited the censorship debate after calling the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) “outdated” amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Thalapathy Vijay’s upcoming film “Jana Nayagan.” His comments come at a time when the film is stuck in legal limbo due to a dispute over certification.
“Jana Nayagan,” originally slated for release on January 9, failed to hit theaters after it did not receive its censor certificate on time. Although the Madras High Court later directed the CBFC to issue the certificate, the Chief Justice’s bench imposed an interim stay, once again delaying the film. The stalemate has reignited discussions about the relevance and functioning of the censorship system in India.
In a detailed post on X, Ram Gopal Varma argued that the censor board no longer holds relevance in today’s digital era. “The censor board is outdated,” he wrote. “Not just in the context of Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan,’ but in general, it is foolish to believe that the censor board remains relevant today. Its purpose expired long ago, but it continues to exist due to the industry’s inertia.”
Varma pointed out that in an age dominated by the internet and social media, audiences—including children—have unrestricted access to graphic, violent, explicit, and extremist content. “A 12-year-old can watch a terror attack filmed on GoPro. A nine-year-old can access explicit content. A retired person can watch extremist propaganda from anywhere in the world—uncut, uncensored, anonymous,” he wrote, adding that social platforms are filled with political toxicity, communal slurs, and unfiltered debates.
According to him, the belief that trimming a word or blurring a cigarette protects society is “a joke.” Varma argued that censorship originated in a time when media was limited, films were the primary mass medium, and content access was controlled by the state. “Today, no authority can decide what people should or shouldn’t watch. Censorship doesn’t stop the audience; it only insults their intelligence.”
He stressed that cinema’s role is not to educate but to reflect society and entertain. “The censor board no longer provides safety; it provides only an illusion. Officials should trust citizens to choose what they want to watch. Content warnings make sense. Age classifications make sense. But censorship does not.”
The controversy over “Jana Nayagan” continues to attract widespread attention, with industry veterans, fans, and legal experts debating the role and future of the censor board in the modern media ecosystem.
