HC dismisses petition, challenging selection of films

Mumbai, Nov 23 (UNI) The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition, challenging selection of films for 'Indian Panorama 2007', to be shown in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), that commenced at Goa today.

Satish Tandor, producer of a film ''Chiroshkha Hey'', based on real life story of legendary Rabindranath Tagore, had moved the High Court, saying that the jury appointed by Directorate of Film Festivals for selecting movies for 'Indian Panorama 2007' were not experienced enough.

Tandor had also contended that despite nationwide acclaim his film was rejected because three of the five jury members, being Bengali, were biased against his film as it depicted some negative aspects of the great poet's life.

But, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatenter Kumar and Justice J P Deodhar dismissed his first contention saying that, experience of the jury members could not be a matter for the court to decide. The court also found some factual aspects submitted by the petitioner as incorrect for there were six members on the panel of jury and only one of them was a Bengali and the jury panel was headed by renowned film maker K S Sethumadhavan.

The judges observed that such matters would squarely fall within jurisdiction of experts bodies and their decision and actions could hardly be a subject matter for judicial review, unless they were patently unfair, unjust or violative of basic rule of law.

UNI