Blocked, censored, and pressured: The long history of Vijay films being stopped before they could reach his fans VijayActor-politician Vijay is still awaiting the release of his final film Jana Nayagan. The film has been stuck in certification limbo for nearly three months, with no official release date announced. This situation, while unprecedented, is not entirely new for Vijay, whose career has repeatedly faced political pressure, legal challenges, and last-minute certification hurdles before his films could reach audiences. In 2013, his film Thalaivaa was set for a global release on August 9. However, theatres in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remained dark. The controversy stemmed from the film’s tagline, “Time to Lead,” which the AIADMK government, led by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, reportedly viewed as a direct challenge to her leadership. Despite the backlash, the film eventually premiered internationally, though its domestic release was delayed. Four years later, Mersal faced scrutiny from the BJP in 2017. The party demanded the removal of scenes in which Vijay’s character criticized the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Digital India initiative. The contentious scene depicted the character pointing out that Singapore charges just 7% GST and provides free healthcare, while India’s higher rates could not guarantee similar benefits. The film also encountered certification issues with the Animal Welfare Board of India, which initially refused a no-objection certificate over the use of animals in production. The Telugu dubbed version, Adirindhi, faced further delays at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), where producers were asked to mute or delete the controversial dialogues. They chose to mute them, sparking outrage among fans who endured long silences in theatres.#kamal_haasan #vijay_actor_politician #aiadmk #j_jayalalithaa #cbfc
Kamal Haasan Slams Trump Over US 'Permission' to Buy Russian Oil Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has criticized US President Donald Trump on social media, accusing Washington of overstepping by granting India "permission" to purchase Russian oil amid global supply chain disruptions. Haasan, a member of India’s Rajya Sabha and leader of the Makkal Needhi Maiam party, posted a message on X addressing Trump, emphasizing India’s sovereignty and rejecting foreign interference. "Dear Mr. President, We, the people of India, belong to a free and sovereign nation. We no longer take orders from distant foreign shores. Please mind your own business to the best of your abilities," he wrote. Haasan also called for mutual respect between nations, stating, "Mutual respect between sovereign nations is the only foundation of lasting global peace. We wish your country and its people peace and prosperity." The controversy stems from remarks by Scott Bessent, US Treasury Secretary and a close aide to Trump. Bessent told Fox Business that the US had allowed India to buy Russian oil to address temporary supply gaps caused by the Middle East conflict. "The Indians have been very good actors. We had asked them to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil this fall. They did. They were going to substitute it with US oil. But to ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept Russian oil. We may un-sanction other Russian oil," Bessent said. Trump later echoed this sentiment, suggesting the US might take steps to alleviate global oil pressure. "If there were some, I would do it just to take a little of the pressure off," he said, adding that "the oil pressure—there's a lot of oil. We've got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount and we have, there's a lot of oil out there. That'll get healed very quickly.#india #donald_trump #scott_bessent #kamal_haasan #us_treasury
