It shows that the court has taken note of the seriousness of the subject as well as the ability of the film to address the subject.
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“The hard work of the lawyers has paid”.
Shahid tweeted: “Landmark judgement”.
Mumbai: Unequivocally upholding the freedom of creative expression, the Bombay High Court on Monday overruled the CBFC-recommended 13 cuts for Bollywood film “Udta Punjab” and cleared it for release with one cut and three disclaimers by the filmmakers. “I’m terribly pleased and relieved with the verdict”, the film’s director Abhishek Chaubey told reporters outside court, adding that he hoped it would force the board to change its approach. Now, the film has been passed and we’re going to fight for the release on June 17.
Earlier today, the Bombay High Court admonished the CBFC for acting like a “grandmother” and ordered it to certify the movie within 48 hours with just one cut instead of 13 suggested by the CBFC so that its producers can release it on schedule on June 17.
“As a filmmaker I feel empowered and relieved”, said Karan Johar, a noted film director and producer.
In a rare display of unity, Bollywood had rallied behind “Udta Punjab” co-producer Anurag Kashyap and the film’s cast to protest attempts by censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani to sanitise art and popular culture. “We do not find that the film questions the sovereignty or integrity of India by mentioning the names of cities, or referring to a state or by a signpost”, the judge said.
The film, based on the drug problem in Punjab, has been in news since the board had asked the makers to edit close to 30 minutes of the movie citing the use of cuss words and remove references to Punjab. “We work in hard conditions and try to be honest with a film”.
The filmmakers have reportedly been asked by the Election Committee that they can either take the film to the Revising Committee or the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).
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Punjab goes to the polls next year and is a crucial state for Modi, whose nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is junior partner to the regional party that runs it.
