Mumbai, 04 September: Kangana Ranaut’s film ‘Emergency’ will not be released on September 6 now. Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to give any order on the dispute between the film producer and the Censor Board. The court said that in this the Madhya Pradesh High Court has already asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to take a decision, so it cannot give any order now.
The court has asked the CBFC to take a decision on any objection on this matter by September 18.
A petition filed by Zee Studios, co-producer of the film Emergency produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, was heard on Wednesday before a division bench of Bombay High Court Justice BP Colabawala and Firdosh Pooniwala.
The petition filed by the co-producer of the film said that the CBFC has illegally and arbitrarily withheld the certificate. The court said that it cannot direct the CBFC to issue the certificate, as the Madhya Pradesh High Court has already ordered the censor board to decide on the allegations and concerns of Jabalpur Sikh Sangat. The Sikh organization has objected to the film and its trailer.
The film was scheduled to be released in theaters on September 6 but was postponed after objections from Sikh organizations. The film is based on the life of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the writer, director and producer of the film is MP Kangana Ranaut.
The film is based on the story of the 21-month Emergency imposed in the country from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977. Kangana has played the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in this film. Sikh organizations including Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab have accused the makers of the film of hurting the sentiments of Sikhs and portraying them in a wrong way. It is alleged that the wrong image of Sikhs has been presented in the film.
The High Court also ordered the Censor Board to take a decision on the Jabalpur Sikh Sangat or any other representations by September 18. The Jabalpur High Court had ordered the Censor Board to ask representatives of the Sikh community to express their views on the film before giving it a certificate. After the hearing in the Madhya Pradesh High Court on September 3, the judge said, ‘The film will not be released on September 6. The Censor Board has not yet given a certificate to the film.’
