Mumbai, September 4, 2024 — The Bombay High Court has declined to intervene in the ongoing controversy surrounding Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency, following a directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The Madhya Pradesh HC had instructed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to address objections raised against the film before issuing a certification.
The release of Emergency, initially scheduled for September 6, 2024, has been postponed by two weeks. The Bombay High Court directed the CBFC to review the objections and finalize the certification by September 18, 2024.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the producer of the film, had petitioned the Bombay High Court seeking an order to compel the CBFC to issue the film’s certification. The petition argued that while the CBFC had prepared the certificate, it had not been issued, possibly due to concerns about potential law and order issues following the film’s release.
A division bench of Justices B P Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla acknowledged that the CBFC had prepared the certificate but had not issued it. The bench criticized the CBFC’s claim that the certificate was not issued due to lack of the chairperson’s signature as inaccurate.
Despite this, the court refrained from issuing an immediate order, citing the Madhya Pradesh HC’s directive. “We understand there are other considerations at play. We refrain from commenting further. The CBFC must address the objections and make a decision by September 18,” the bench stated.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order followed petitions from Sikh groups alleging that the film contains scenes that could offend their religious sentiments and cause unrest. The CBFC had initially asserted that the film had not yet been certified.
The Bombay High Court explained that granting relief to the producers would contravene the Madhya Pradesh HC’s order, which mandates that the CBFC consider the objections before issuing a certification. “To provide relief today would mean asking the CBFC to disregard another HC’s order, which is against judicial propriety,” the bench noted.
The film Emergency has stirred controversy due to objections from Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, which accused the film of misrepresenting historical facts and the Sikh community.
