SC to examine if Bollywood can exploit anthem

The Supreme Court said on Friday that it will examine whether the national anthem can be commercially exploited by  Bollywood in movies.

A bench headed by Chief Justice R C Lahoti said it would also examine if actors in a film should stand up when the national anthem is being sung.

The bench said this while reviving the petition in which the petitioners had objected to the use of the national anthem in the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

"We will hear the petition on all points, except the certificate issued for screening of the film by the Central Board for Film Certification," the Bench said. An earlier verdict had held that the audience was not required to stand up when the national anthem was sung as a part of the movie.

The review petition was filed by one Shyam Narayan Chouksey against the verdict of the Apex Court, which had set aside the Madhya Pradesh High Court decision asking the producer and director of the film, Yash Johar and Karan Johar, to delete the part where the national anthem was sung in the movie.

They had successfully challenged the High Court order saying that since the national anthem was part of the movie, the audience was not required to stand up.