Coolie producers approach Madras High Court challenging ‘A’ certification given to Rajinikanth film

Rajinikanth starrer Coolie has been performing well at the box office despite some moderate responses from critics for its predictable storyline and redundant action. The action epic directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj was already in the news for procuring an “A” Certificate from the censors before its release. However, in an unprecedented move, the producer’s Sun Network has moved to the Madras High Court to challenge the grounds for the “A” certificate granted to the film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), reported The Hindu.

This action was prompted by an email from the censor board to the producers, which accused the film of “celebrating violence.” The ‘A’ certificate has become an issue as the production house owned by Kalanidhi Maaran took the legal route to file a ‘civil miscellaneous appeal against the CBFC for the rating. This move was made as part of the stipulation that anyone can apply for a film certification appeal before the tribunal within 30 days of granting the original rating. Sun Pictures has argued that the film has been made as part of celebration of Rajinikanth’s 50th year in cinema, and has already emerged as a blockbuster, winning people’s approval.

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The production house has raised concerns regarding the ‘A’ rating by drawing comparisons with more violent films in the past, like Yash starrer ‘KGF’ and Vijay starrer Beast, which were given ‘U/A’ certification. They called out the excessive violence in these films as opposed to that of Coolie, Coolie is an ensemble gangster drama that features Nagarjuna, Upendra, Sruthi Haasan, Sathyaraaj, and Soubin Shahir in the main cast, alongside a delightful cameo by Aamir Khan. The film, which follows an ex-coolie and his quest for vengeance for the death of his friend against a gold smuggling empire, has divided audiences post-release. The film is the highest Indian opening week grosser of this year and has already crossed the 400 crore milestone at the global box office.