SC refuses to stay release of Udta Punjab

Updated: Thursday, June 16, 2016, 15:14 [IST]

New Delhi, June 16: The Supreme Court on Thursday,June 16 permitted the release of the controversial movie Udta Punjab.

The order passed by a Division Bench comprising Justices Adarsh Goel and L N Rao permitted the movie to be released with one cut as per the order of the Bombay High Court.An NGO from Punjab had challenged the release of the movie.

It said that it paints Punjab in a very poor light and hence the release be stalled. The Bombay High Court had permitted the release of the movie with just one cut.

Arguments and observations:

During the course of the arguments, the Bench initially took a serious note of the abusive language that was there in the movie. The Bench asked, " why is there so much of vulgar, obscene and abusive language.

Justice Goel pointed out that persons under the influence of drugs never use such abusive language. I have worked with addicts as part of the legal aid authority and I had never found them abusive, Justice Goel also observed.

The NGO argued that this film adversely affects Punjab. The state is shown in very poor light. Such a portrayal of the youth of the state will have a negative impact and there is a good chance of them not getting jobs in future, the petitioner also argued.

Appearing for the producers of the film, Meenakshi Arora told the court that there may have been some exaggarration to dramatise the ground reality. Abuses are necessary to project the ground reality prevailing the state, she further submitted.

She further quoted the Bandit Queen case in which the Supreme Court had upheld the creative right of the director. The SC had permitted the film to release with the abuses so that the movie looked real.

The Bench then questioned the locus standi of the NGO in filing the appeal. After the Bombay High Court order neither did the censor board nor the Punjab government come up in appeal.

Why have you, the Bench sought to know. How are you affected by it, the Bench also observed while refusing to stay the release of the movie.

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