The decision was being hailed by the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai as a victory for the creative arts and the fundamental rights of filmmakers.
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It directed the Central Board of Film Certification to certify the film within 48 hours to enable its release as scheduled on June 17.
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 in India.
The film industry should get ready for another censorship battle, because one is already looming: on Monday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, acting on a petition by an advocate, asked for a viewing to determine whether the movie should be banned if it denigrates the fair name of Punjab.
Udta Punjab is a high-profile narcotics drama set in in the northern state. The movie also had the scene where Shahid Kapoor urinates in front of a crowd, leading media reports to suggest that someone in the CBFC leaked it online. The film will be releasing with only one cut.
The CBFC’s direction for multiple cuts in the film had triggered a political storm with Congress and AAP accusing the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab, which is going to polls next year, of using their influence to get it censored.
Kashyap called Nihalani an “oligarch”, while the latter responded by suggesting that the filmmaker had taken money from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to make “Udta Punjab” to tarnish Punjab’s image.
Nihalani said nine board members watched the film and unanimously decided on the rating and the need to cut some violent scenes.
“Udta punjab judgement is a tight slap on Modi regime’s intolerance”, Kejriwal tweeted.
The Abhishek Chaubey-directed film deals with the issue of drugs in Punjab. That is when Phantom and Balaji moved the Bombay High Court.
On the overdose of expletives or cuss words, the judges said these do not contribute to the success of a film as today’s generation is very direct, open and a lot mature.
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“Aligarh” director Hansal Mehta made a poignant point by saying: “Let the “Udta Punjab” case not be a one-off incidence of collective outrage resulting in a positive outcome…”
