Bhopal, September 3: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday (September 3) said that it won’t interfere in the matter of release of the film ‘Emergency’ and asked the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) to consider the objections raised over the trailer of the film by two Sikh bodies.
A Division Bench headed by acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf made the observations on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday had issued a notice to the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) and sought its response on a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed against the release of actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut’s film ‘Emergency’. The bench in the notice asked the CBFC to clarify if the film has been cleared yet. The CBFC responded to the court on Tuesday by saying that it has not cleared the film.
Notices Also Sent To Ranaut And Social Media Platforms
The court reportedly had also issued a notice to BJP MP Kangana Ranaut as well as her production house Manikarnika Films, the banner under which the film has been made. Notices were also issued to the Madhya Pradesh and Central governments and Zee Studios.
Notices were also sent to social media platforms and video streaming services such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Zee Studios’ chief business officer, Umesh Bansal.
Petitioners Have Sought Apology From Kangana Ranaut
Two Sikh bodies, Jabalpur Sikh Sangat and Guru Singh Sabha, Indore had filed the writ petition on which the hearing took place. The Sikh bodies objected to the trailer of the film and Sikh community’s portrayal in the trailer.
The petitioners have also sought an unconditional apology from Kangana Ranaut.
Advocate Narinder Pal Singh Ruprah appeared for the petitioners. The lawyer objected to the use of the word ‘Khalistan’ in the trailer and said that the portrayal could put young Sikh children wearing turbans at the risk of being called ‘Khalistanis’.
Emergency: Who Plays What In Kangana Ranaut’s Film?
Controversy Over ‘Emergency’ Release
Emergency is a film reportedly based on events in the life of former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. The movie is also co-written by Kangana Ranaut and was originally scheduled for release in November 2023. However, the release of the film has been postponed multiple times. The film was supposed to be released on September 6 but the censor board said it needs more cuts due to which its release has been postponed again.
