Bombay HC hears Zee Studios' plea seeking censor certificate for Kangana Ranaut's film 'Emergency'

Bombay High Court is hearing a plea by Zee Studios seeking a censor certificate for Kangana Ranaut's film 'Emergency'. A bench of Justice B.P. Colabawalla and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla had refused to grant any interim relief in the last hearing due to an MP High Court order directing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider objections against the release of the movie, as per Bar and Bench on September 19.

The Bombay High Court has issued a directive to the CBFC to take a decision regarding the certification of the film "Emergency" by Wednesday. This development came during a hearing of a petition filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the movie's co-producer, seeking a censor certificate to enable the film's theatrical release, as per Bar and Bench.

"Emergency," a political drama starring Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, and Shreyas Talpade, depicts the period of Emergency rule imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. The film has encountered controversy, with Sikh organizations alleging misrepresentation of their community. Government sources have indicated the presence of "some sensitive content" in the movie.

During the court proceedings, the judges inquired about the functioning of the advisory committee. Dr Abhinav Chandrachud, representing the CBFC, explained that the committee provides recommendations, which are then considered by the examining committee.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with the CBFC's failure to comply with its previous directive to decide by September 18. When asked if they had approached the Supreme Court, Venkatesh Dhond, representing the petitioners, responded, “No, your Lordships had set a timeline. They have not decided anything,” as quoted by Bar and Bench.

Dr. Chandrachud elaborated on the CBFC's concerns, stating, "We have decided based on the representations." He cited objections received against the movie, particularly mentioning, "There are some scenes in the movie wherein a person, a polarising figure of particular religious persuasion, is cutting a deal with political parties. We have to see whether this is factually accurate.”

Justice Colabawalla challenged this stance, emphasizing, "This is a movie and not a documentary." He further questioned, "Do you think that the public is so naive that they will believe everything that they see in a movie.. What about creative freedom? It's not for the CBFC to decide whether this affects public order. This has to stop. Otherwise, we are completely curtailing the creative freedom,” as per the Bar and Bench report.