HC ruling on ‘Udta Punjab’ on Monday

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court will announce on Monday its verdict on a petition by the producers of ‘Udta Punjab’, challenging the Central Board of Film Certification order to cut several scenes.

Justices SC Dharmadhikari and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi told the counsel for the CBFC that “multiplex audiences are mature enough and people should be allowed to see the film as everybody has a choice”. The court also refused to accept the argument that the film showed Punjab in poor light. “If Goa can be shown as a place for drug abuse in films, what is wrong with (showing) Punjab?” the court asked. 

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It also told CBFC that its job was to certify films and not censor them.

The counsel for CBFC said the film, due for release on June 17, contained abusive language. However, producers Phantom Films said they would insert disclaimers as they did not intend to portray any state in bad light. — TNS 

The word censor is not anywhere in the Act. Your power is to certify films for public exhibition... you are giving the film ready-made publicity... if you don’t want to see it, you have the remote control in your hands. — Bombay High Court