Supreme Court Strikes Down Ban on Film 'Padmaavat' Imposed by 4 States
Such bans amount to violation of the freedom to speech and expression, the CJI-led bench said.
New Delhi, Jan 18: A week ahead of the slated release of Bollywood movie 'Padmaavat', a major relief came for its producers as the Supreme Court struck down the ban imposed on its screening by 4 states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat.
The court, accepting the arguments of the petitioners, contended that the film could not be banned by the state governments after being approved for all-India release by the Central Bureau of Film Certification (CBFC).
The bench headed by Chief Justice of India, while staying the ban imposed by the four states, said "creative content is part of the freedom of speech and expression" and could not be violated by the government.
The Rajasthan government said it would study the judgement and seek a review of the SC order.
The Madhya Pradesh government is also expected to approach the apex court, seeking a review of its order. "Our utmost priority is law and order. We respect the court order and will study it. We will a review of the court's order," the government's spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai told NDTV.
The film fraternity has welcomed the Supreme Court's order. Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal said since the CBFC has given certification to the film, those raising apprehensions should watch it before raising apprehensions.
"The Supreme Court judgement comes as a major relief. It upholds the rule of law and the freedom of speech and expression. If there is a threat to law and order breakdown, then it is the responsibility of the state government to crackdown on those elements who can cause trouble," added filmmaker Sudhir Mishra.
Padmaavat was earlier scheduled to release on December 1, 2017. However, the demonstrations held by Shri Rajput Karni Sena across the nation compelled the CBFC to re-examine the movie, suggesting various cuts. The erstwhile name of the movie Padmavati, was changed to Padmaavat, based upon the recommendation of the censor board.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 18, 2018 12:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).