The Bombay High Court on Wednesday declined to instruct the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a certification for the movie, stating that such an order would contradict a prior ruling by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The court emphasized that it cannot dismiss the petition outright but noted that a delay of one week in the certification process would not be catastrophic. The court also pointed out that these arguments should have been presented before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had previously directed the CBFC to consider objections raised by Sikh groups regarding the film.
The CBFC has been instructed to make a decision on the certification by September 18, with the next hearing scheduled for September 19.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the co-producer of Emergency, had approached the Bombay High Court seeking the release of the film and the issuance of a censor certificate. The petition filed by the company argued that the CBFC had arbitrarily and illegally withheld the certification.
During the hearing, the court expressed its concern over how certain groups could deem the film objectionable without having viewed it. The court acknowledged that siding with the petitioners but reiterated that it could not order the CBFC to issue a certificate, as doing so would violate another High Court’s ruling.
The lawyer representing Kangana Ranaut’s production house asserted that no further changes would be made to the film, which had already been revised and resubmitted as per the CBFC’s instructions. On August 8, 2024, the CBFC issued a letter requesting specific modifications to the film, which were completed and submitted by the producers on August 14.
After the revisions, the CBFC informed the co-producers on August 29 that the film’s certificate had been prepared and was ready for collection. However, the certification process remains stalled, leading to further delays.
Kangana Ranaut addressed the situation on social media, refuting rumors that the film had been certified. She clarified that while the film did receive clearance from the CBFC, the certification is currently on hold due to death threats made against CBFC members.
The case continues to attract significant attention as it awaits further developments in court.
(ANI)
