NGO moves SC, seeks stay on Udta Punjab release

The NGO in its plea also challenged the Bombay high court order, clearing decks for the release of the film, after deleting a urination scene and displaying a revised disclaimer.

The plea for urgent hearing was mentioned before a Vacation Bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and L Nageswara Rao, which asked the NGO, Human Rights Awareness Association, to first get the petition cleared from the registry.

During a brief hearing, the counsel appearing for the NGO said “the movie depicts the state in bad light”.  He said the Bombay high court should not have quashed the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) order for deletion of objectionable scenes.

The High Court had earlier this week cleared the film, scheduled for release on June 17, after deleting only one scene.

In the High Court, Anurag Kashyap’s Phantom Films had challenged the CBFC’s revising committee order dated June 6, directing for a total of 13 changes in the film. It has noted that the CBFC is not empowered by law to censor films, as the word censor is not included in the Cinematograph Act.

As per the revised disclaimer, the ‘Udta Punjab’ makers will have to delete reference to Pakistan. 

They will also have to make additions to the disclaimer to the effect that the movie, its characters and the filmmakers do not promote the use of drugs and abusive language, and that the film is only attempting to depict the reality of drug abuse. 

The film delves into how a large number of youth in Punjab have succumbed to drugs.