The Bombay high court on Thursday said creative freedom and the freedom of expression cannot be curtailed and the censor board cannot refuse to certify a film just because there is an apprehension of a law and order problem.
The biographical drama is caught up in controversy after some Sikh organisations including the Shiromani Akali Dal objected, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.
Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency didn't get any relief on Wednesday from the Bombay high court which refused to pass any order in the wake of a directive by the Madhya Pradesh HC directing Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider objections to the movie before certifying it.
The CBI has lodged an FIR against three persons and unidentified officials of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over the allegations of actor Vishal that he had to pay Rs 6.5 lakh to get a certificate for his film Mark Antony, officials said on Thursday.
'An emergency has been imposed on my film too. It's a very hopeless state.'
'I had no idea I would endure difficult times while making this film.'
On Thursday, September 28, 2023, Tamil star Vishal Krishna opened a Pandora's box by releasing a video where he alleges that a staffer at the Central Board Of Film Certification in Mumbai allegedly asked him for Rs 650,000 before issuing a censor certificate for the Hindi version of his Tamil blockbuster Mark Antony.
'Indira Gandhi was a very weak person,' Kangana claimed. 'She had many crutches around and was constantly seeking validation.'
'Our culture and faith is glorious, intricate and nuanced. And we have to be careful that it does not get defined by trivia which takes the focus away from the real and the true.'
The political period drama, also written and co-produced by Ranaut, was scheduled to hit theatres across the country on Friday but the makers are yet to get a clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the matter is currently in court.
Emergency is caught up in a controversy after Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, objected, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.
In a video message posted on X, Kangana Ranaut claimed that she and the members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) have been receiving threats. She said she is under pressure to not show the assassination of the former prime minster by her security guards.
'What scares me is the fact that there is so much content that people have content indigestion.' 'How do you entice people who have indigestion of content?'
The Madhya Pradesh high court on Monday issued notices to actor Kangana Ranaut, the Centre, censor board and others on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the screening of her upcoming Hindi film Emergency on the ground it contains scenes that violate fundamental rights of Sikhs.
They said a new release date will be announced once the "requisite clearances" are in place.
She held a roadshow in Nagpur on Sunday for BJP candidate Pravin Datke.
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut says she was forced to sell off her property in Mumbai after the release of directorial venture Emergency was postponed due to delay in getting a censor certificate.
The television premiere of the internationally acclaimed film "The Danish Girl" was put on hold on Sony Le Plex as the channel was unable to receive the necessary certification from the Central Board of Film Certification.
"CBFC is part of the government, the responsibility of which is not only limited to issuing certificates to the films but also to preserve the culture and tradition of the country. CBFC is needed so that right kind of films are exhibited in public.
As the Queen star found herself in the middle of a row, with the BJP distancing itself and the Congress attacking it, here's a look at some of the controversies, political and otherwise.
'Nobody has given you (CBFC) the intellectual morality and authority to decide what one wants to watch and see,' the court said.
'From the day I've taken over as chairperson of the CBFC, Ashoke Pandit and Chandraprakesh Diwedi have ganged up against me,' Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani tells Subhash K Jha.
Film certification guidelines need contemporary interpretation and should be as non-discretionary as possible, Information and Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley said on Saturday as he met the government-appointed Shyam Benegal panel to look into the revamp of Censor Board, in Mumbai.
It has been given an 'A' certificate, thereby cutting off a major chunk of Prabhas' fans: Kids.
The Board has decided to give a UA certificate to the film.
'There are problems related to the Indian film industry that I'd like to address rather than to keep harping on the negative zone of hurdles in film certification,' Minister for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore tells Subhash K Jha.
"Maintaining law and order is not our job. That is the job of the state. Prayer rejected," the bench said while refusing to accord urgent hearing on the fresh plea filed by lawyer M L Sharma.
According to the makers, the CBFC was not happy with references made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and use of real names in the film.
'As the film was suppose to release on December 1, there are over 50 countries where this process (of certification) is on.'
'The censor board should not delay the certification of Padmavati any further.' 'They must see the film immediately.'
Noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi will replace him as the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification.
The film has been reportedly passed with a U certificate by Nihlani.
The film, starring Manoj Bajpayee, will release as scheduled.
The film has nothing objectionable or derogatory, the court said after watching it, and allowed its release on streaming platform Netflix.
'Just Mamata Didi. And it was a pleasant reference, not a nasty one.'
A vacation bench comprising Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Shree Prakash Singh was hearing separate petitions of Kuldeep Tiwari and Naveen Dhawan seeking a ban on the movie.
The application for certification was incomplete, says a source in the CBFC.
'Today is our independence day. Udta Punjab is not just a film anymore. It is a movement and one that has ended in the victory of democracy.'
A CAG report severely criticises the movie certification body for fabrication of documents and showing bias while issuing film certificates.
As questions were raised over several censor board members having BJP links, its new chief Pahlaj Nihalani, a film maker, on Tuesday said he was proud to be a "BJP person" and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his "action hero".
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