Indian court clears Bollywood film 'Udta Punjab' with stinging remarks on censorship

In a significant verdict, an Indian court has allowed Bollywood film Udta Punjab to be released on June 17, with just one cut. The ruling ended the censorship controversy surrounding the film, which deals with the rampant drug abuse among the youth of Punjab.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the producers of Udta Punjab, Balaji Motion Pictures and Phantom Films, after the India's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) asked them to make over 80 cuts in the film and remove all references to the state of Punjab, elections and politics.

The Bombay High Court reiterated that the CBFC was meant to certify rather than "censor" films. It also said that it didn't find "anything in the film that shows Punjab in a bad light or affects the sovereignty or integrity of India as claimed by CBFC." The lawyers representing the CBFC had earlier argued that the film defamed Punjab and that its abusive language would be harmful.

Numerous members of the film fraternity tweeted about significance of the ruling.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The film will also have to be released with three disclaimers that state that it does not promote the use of drugs and expletives, or intend to malign a state. The single cut depicts the lead character singer Tommy Singh urinating in front of an audience. "Creative freedom should not be unnecessarily curbed. Nobody can dictate to a filmmaker about the content of his film," the court said in its ruling. 

More significantly, the court also raised several questions about the need for censorship in India. "Do you find the word 'censor' anywhere in the law? Your power is to certify films for screening. The public does not require censoring," the division bench of Justice Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari and Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi said. "If you do not want to see something on TV one uses the remote. That remote you should give to the public to decide whether to switch off or not watch something whether it is on TV or films."

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.