'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.'
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a PIL seeking revocation of the film certificate of controversial movie Adipurush, saying cinematic representation may not be an exact replica of text.
'As the film was suppose to release on December 1, there are over 50 countries where this process (of certification) is on.'
The Supreme Court passes judgment, even as five states have banned the film.
Senior IPS officer Anil Kumar Sinha was on Tuesday night appointed the new CBI Director to succeed Ranjit Sinha who retired in a glare of controversy with the Supreme Court directing him to recuse from 2G spectrum scam case probe.
'The very basis of film censorship lies in the fact that films are considered to be mass medium, and that raw emotions of cinema have the capacity to move you.' 'Which film has moved people into action in the last 40, 50 years?' 'No film.'
Looks like the Udta Maker makes will get no help from the government
Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have banned the movie citing law and order issues.
'The desire to force others to act according to the way we want the world to be is strong in our parts. This is particularly so because we have not fully internalised the idea of individual liberties. The fact is that our moralism will get us into trouble,' says Aakar Patel.
'I believe politics was imposed on it by the censor board, when it gave the film's trailer an A certificate, hoping to deny children, teenagers the opportunity to watch it during prime time television shows,' says Aseem Chhabra.
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said though it was his government's responsibility to ensure its smooth screening, he once again advised the distributors to delay it till the Cauvery dispute was resolved.
The top posts on social media from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
"When matter is pending for CBFC's consideration, how can persons holding public offices comment on whether CBFC should issue certificate or not? It'll prejudice decision making of CBFC... All concerned people, holding responsible posts must be guided by rule of law and shouldn't venture into passing comments on films which haven't been cleared by CBFC. It'll prejudice minds of board members while taking a decision," a Supreme Court bench hearing the plea observed.
The price for pushing the envelope beyond the comfort zone that the land of storytelling is used to is a hefty one, observes Meghna Chadha.
The Supreme Court turned down pleas by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments and refused to modify an earlier order that cleared the decks for the nationwide release of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali flick on January 25.
Why has the BJP taken such great interest in the film? Not to put too fine a point on it, a possible reason is its propaganda value. Since the film shows the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits during their exodus from the Valley, Muslims are depicted in a poor light, observes Amulya Ganguli.
'What is happening is worse than Talibanisation.' 'There is no way a film-maker can fight these fringe groups, these extra-constitutional authorities.'
'Modi maintains what has been called a 'strategic silence' on controversial topics,' points out Amulya Ganguli.
The EC said 'there are several scenes depicting a major opposition party as corrupt and showing them in poor light. Their leaders have been depicted in such a manner that their identification is clear and obvious to the viewers'.
If we don't want a Hindu version of our neighbour, we must keep open minds -- even when what we hear or see is not what we like.
'Everybody has freedom, but you cannot start a fire in a crowded theatre.'
The biopic was originally set to release on April 12, but its producers had advanced it by a week, claiming 'public demand'.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances