The Bombay High Court, which heard an urgent petition on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) seeking the release of Kangana Ranuat’s film ‘Emergency’, refused to direct Central Board of Film Certification [CBFC] to issue certificate immediately.
A Division Bench of Judges comprising Justice B.P. Colabawalla and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla said that it cannot pass direction to the CBFC to issue a certificate for the film as the Madhya Pradesh High Court had already ordered the CBFC on September 3 to decide the representations made by the Jabalpur Sikh Sangat — the petitioners in the case who have objected to the release of the film and its trailer.
A Division Bench of Justices accepted the producer’s contention that the certificate was kept ready but not issued.
The Bench said once the certificate was issued online to the makers of the film, the CBFC’s contention that the certificate was not issued as it was not signed by the chairperson is incorrect.
The court, however, noted it would have directed the CBFC to issue the certificate on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) itself had there not been an order from the Madhya Pradesh HC.
“We know that there is something else happening behind. We don’t want to comment on it. The CBFC shall consider the objections and take a decision by September 18,” it said.
The High Court ordered the CBFC to decide the representations made by the petitioners by September 18 and has kept the matter for further hearing on September 19.
The film was scheduled to release on September 6 but will now be pushed back for two weeks.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises on Tuesday (September 3) moved the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue the certificate for the film “Emergency”.
The petition filed claims that CBFC has arbitrarily and illegally withheld the censor certificate of the film. Zee Studios who are the co-makers of the film has claimed that despite being informed of the film’s certification on August 29, 2024, CBFC is yet to provide a formal copy of the certification.
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The biographical drama ‘Emergency’ is caught up in controversy after Sikh organisations including the Shiromani Akali Dal objected, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who has directed and co-produced the film besides playing the lead role of former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi, on Monday (September 2, 2024) accused the CBFC of stalling certification to delay the release.
(With inputs from PTI)
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