Mumbai: In a major relief to the producers of Udta Punjab, the Bombay High Court today allowed the release of the film with one major cut. The court has also asked the producers to attach three disclaimers at the start of the film.
Refusing to put a stay on film's release, the bench directed the CBFC to issue a fresh certificate to the movie in two days.
The only scene slashed by the court is the one where actor Shahid Kapoor is seen urinating in front of a huge crowd.
The bench analyzed all the cuts suggested by CBFC one by one before landing upon the final verdict.
The High Court also told CBFC to not act like a grandmother and change as per times.
Ahead of its verdict on a series of cuts imposed on the film 'Udta Punjab', the Bombay High Court earlier stated that the CBFC's job is to certify films and not censor them.
“Udta Punjab is a movie depicting the drug menace based in a place. There is no mention of the word ‘censor’ in board. Board should use its powers as per Constitution and Supreme Court’s directions,” the bench said.
Further, the court said that it is on the same page as the producers that the showing menace of drugs is the film's central theme.
"We have read script in entirety to see if film encourages drugs. We do not find the film questions sovereignty or integrity of India by the names of cities, reference to state or by a signpost," it said.
Also, the court stated that the worth of a film shouldn't be estimated from like dialogues, songs, lines etc but should be viewed in its entirety. "No one can dictate how to make a film, it is all up to the creative person," it said.
The CBFC’s revising committee had suggested a number of changes in the movie, which stars Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor-Khan and Diljit Dosanjh, and deals with the problem of drug addiction among youth in Punjab.
The Abhishek Chaubey-directed film is tentatively scheduled for release on June 17.
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