Emergency can be released after suggested cuts: CBFC to HC
Zee Entertainment sought time to take instructions to decide whether the cuts should be made in the Kangana Ranaut movie 'Emergency'.
3 min read
Kangana Ranaut portrays former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the film Emergency (File Photo)The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) informed the Bombay High Court Thursday that its revising committee had suggested some cuts for Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency before its release.
The CBFC was responding to a plea by co-producer Zee Entertainment which alleged that CBFC was “illegally” and “arbitrarily” withholding certification for the film.
The film is directed and co-produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut who also plays the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
After the lawyer representing Zee Entertainment sought time to take instructions to decide whether the cuts should be made, the bench of Justices B P Colabawalla and Firdosh P Pooniwalla posted the matter for hearing on Monday, September 30.
On September 19, the High Court had directed CBFC to take a decision by September 25 on the release of the film, stating that the delay in certification restricts freedom of expression.
It said the longer the film takes to get released, the greater the financial burden on producers. It asked CBFC to “not sit on the fence” and take the decision one way or the other by September 25.
The petitioner, during an earlier hearing, had contended a “political angle” – that the Haryana polls were the reason for the delay in the release of the certification.
“They (ruling BJP) are willing to displease the sitting MP (Ranaut, who is a co-producer and represents Mandi constituency in Lok Sabha) to appease a particular section of the society. Here is a film which is anti-Sikh as per some groups. Then who will be responsible for releasing an anti-Sikh movie? It will be the CBFC, which is the executive. So, some members of the community will say we will not vote for the ruling party in the coming Haryana polls,” the lawyer for petitioner Zee Entertainment had said.
The bench asaid, “You mean to say the political party is ruling against its own Member of Parliament?” The petitioner responded in the affirmative and sought an urgent decision.
On Thursday, as hearing on the plea began, Justice Colabawalla told Abhinav Chandrachud, advocate for CBFC, “Give us some good news.”
Chandrachud said the Board has decided and suggested some cuts to the film, and if the cuts are made, the film can be released.
Senior Advocate Sharan Jagtiani, representing the petitioner, sought time to take instructions to decide whether cuts could be made to the film.
Earlier, on September 4, the HC said it was unable to pass directions to CBFC to issue Emergency’s certification due to a Madhya Pradesh High Court order on a plea by Sikh groups.
Ranaut and her co-producers have also faced legal notice from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for allegedly “misrepresenting the character and history of the Sikh” community.
You May Like
