In a significant development for Kangana Ranaut's film 'Emergency', the Bombay High Court on Wednesday declined to mandate the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a certification for the movie.
The court, comprising Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla, stated that it could not issue directives due to a prior order by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which instructed the CBFC to address objections before certifying the film.
The bench emphasized that issuing any relief would contradict the Madhya Pradesh High Court's directive, which would improperly compel the CBFC to disregard another court's ruling.
The Bombay High Court has directed the CBFC to review the objections raised against the film and finalize the certification by September 18. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for September 19.
This decision follows a recent appeal by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, a co-producer of 'Emergency', which sought the film's release and a censor certificate. The petition argued that the CBFC had arbitrarily withheld the certificate despite its readiness.
Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had addressed petitions from Sikh groups alleging that the film contains scenes that could offend their religious sentiments and potentially incite unrest. Consequently, the court instructed the CBFC to consider these objections before issuing the film's certification.
As a result of these controversies, the film's release, initially set for September 6, has been postponed indefinitely. The film, directed and co-produced by Kangana Ranaut, who also stars as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has faced backlash from Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, for allegedly misrepresenting historical facts.
