Another roadblock for Udta Punjab as NGO files petition

New Delhi, June 15: A day after the cast of the film Udta Punjab welcomed Bombay High Court's verdict to release the film as scheduled with just one cut, a Punjab based NGO has moved Supreme Court challenging the order.

The petition filed by the NGO seeks a stay on the release of the film. There is one more case pending against the film-in Punjab and Haryana HC.

The NGO in its plea also challenged the Bombay High Court order clearing the decks for the release of the movie after deleting a urination scene and displaying a revised disclaimer.

The plea for urgent hearing was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and L Nageswara Rao, which asked the NGO, Human Rights Awareness Association to first get the petition cleared from the registry.

During a brief hearing, counsel appearing for the NGO said "the movie depicts the state in bad light."

On Tuesday, the makers and the cast of the film welcomed Bombay HC order. Co-producer Anurag Kashyap said, "We have a humongous problem with Mr Nihalani but if he goes who will come in? What's the guarantee that if someone comes in, he will not interpret the Cinematograph Act and the law the same way, or may be worse or better."

Kashyap also sought Nihalani's ouster as CBFC chief and said: "The system needs overhaul. It is not just Nihalani, who needs to be replaced, which we want."

The producers had moved the Bombay High Court against the CBFC. The court cleared the film for release with just one cut.

The movie has been caught in a controversy for its depiction of rampant drug abuse among the youth in Punjab, with several political leaders crying foul over the same.

Meanwhile, the film's lead actor Shahid Kapoor tweeted on Monday

(with PTI inputs)

OneIndia News