The Bombay High Court was informed on Monday that Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika Films had agreed to most of the changes its revising committee had sought for the release of the actor’s film Emergency, in which she portrays the role of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) informed a bench of Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla while hearing a plea by movie’s co-producer Zee Entertainment alleging that the censor board illegally and arbitrarily withheld the film’s certification.
Earlier, Emergency’s director and co-producer Ranaut, a BJP MP, had accused the CBFC of stalling certification to delay the release. Alleging political angle, Ranaut had said that the reason for delay was the ensuing Haryana polls on October 5.
Zee’s counsel Sharan Jagtiani informed the bench that Manikarnika Films had a meeting with the CBFC and they (Zee) were informed that they had reached an agreement with regard to the changes and cuts to the film. “This is to be discussed between the Manikarnika Films and CBFC and the manner in which the changes are to be done,” Jagtiani submitted. He said they have to decide as to how the cuts are to be made.
CBFC counsel Abhinav Chandrachud submitted that the producers were agreeable to most of the suggestions and said that the cuts would hardly affect even a minute of the film. The entire movie is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The bench asked Chandrachud to share a copy of the communication between Manikarnika Films and CBFC with Zee Entertainment and asked Jagtiani to take instructions from the client on the same.
The HC has kept the matter for further hearing on October 3.
The movie, which was initially to release early this month, was deferred after the censor board withheld the certification following objections raised by Sikh community. Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the makers of the movie, then approached the HC seeking direction to the CBFC to issue the certificate.
After reviewing, the censor board’s revision committee had suggested 13 changes. It recommended six insertions, four excisions, including removal of words ‘Sant’ and ‘Bhindranwale’ from a certain dialogue between two top political leaders, deletion of phrase praising Bhindranwale and removal of certain visuals and dialogues involving the targeting of non-Sikhs. It also asked the producers to delete a dialogue referring to Khalistan and tone down certain scenes depicting Sikhs. The Board has also asked the producers to make three modifications in scenes and dialogues.
