The Bombay High Court on Monday cleared the drug-themed movie ‘Udta Punjab’ with only just one cut and ordered the Indian Censor Board to issue a fresh certificate to the movie in two days.
The court had also directed the makers of the film to delete urination scene and revise the disclaimer.
The decision of the court came contrary to that of censor board which cleared the movie with 13 cuts under the ‘A’ category.
Talking to media after the verdict, producer Anurag Kashyap’s lawyer said it’s a vindication of democracy. “We have to delete only one scene (urination). It is a vindication of democracy,” said the lawyer as quoted by The Indian Express.
“Udta Punjab is a movie depicting the drug menace based in a place. There is no mention of the word ‘censor’ in the board. The board should use its powers as per Constitution and Supreme Court’s directions,” the bench observed.
“We are not in agreement that in some films dirty words have been allowed so these should be allowed here too. There is no need to assert or incorporate abusive words in every dialogue,” ruled the court.
“Udta Punjab” producers had filed a petition with the Bombay High Court asking it to order the CBFC to release its list of required cuts, amid reports the board was seeking 89 changes to the movie.
They received the suggested list of 13 cuts shortly before the hearing, their lawyer told the court.
The High Court ruled the CBFC as being “overly critical” and asked it to reconsider its decision and asked the filmmakers to tone down vulgar scenes as these alone cannot make a film progress.
No details were given about which cuts should be made but Indian media has widely reported that the CBFC wants the filmmakers to remove all references to Punjab, including in the title.
The northern Indian state is due to hold local elections in 2017. Critics allege that the CBFC is censoring the movie to avoid embarrassing the state government.
CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani suggested that references to Punjab could be cut because, despite claiming the characters are fictitious, “the whole movie is in Punjab and they have taken names from Punjab”.
The dispute has renewed fears over creative freedom in India, with one of “Udta Punjab’s” producers, Anurag Kashyap, tweeting on Monday that the CBFC’s stance was similar to living in North Korea.
A number of Bollywood actors and directors have come out in support of the filmmakers.
India’s censors have a long history of barring movies and cutting scenes, including those that are deemed too racy or capable of causing religious offense. Filmmakers accuse censors of intolerance.
The movie, starring Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Shahid Kapoor is scheduled for release on June 17.