The Telangana High Court has recently dismissed a petition attempting to block the release of the much-awaited Telugu film Pushpa 2: The Rule, ensuring its scheduled premiere on December 5 will proceed as planned.
The petition, filed by Secunderabad resident Sararapu Srisailam, argued that the film could potentially glorify illegal activities, following the theme of its predecessor, Pushpa: The Rise, which depicted the smuggling of red sanders. The petitioner expressed concerns that such content might have a negative influence on viewers and called for the film’s release to be stalled.
Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya, however, rejected the petition, labeling the claims as speculative and lacking sufficient evidence, other than the film’s teaser.
The court noted that halting the film’s release at this stage would cause severe disruptions to the film industry and lead to substantial financial losses for the filmmakers.
Furthermore, the court reprimanded the petitioner for misusing judicial resources and imposed a fine, directing the funds to organizations that support trafficked women and children.
“The petition lacks merit and wastes the valuable time of the judiciary,” Justice Bhattacharya remarked in the ruling.
In defense of the film, Deputy Solicitor General Gadi Praveen Kumar, representing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), assured the court that Pushpa 2 had been thoroughly reviewed. Kumar explained that the CBFC had cleared the film after requesting 5 changes, and emphasized that it complied with all legal requirements under the Cinematography Act, leaving no grounds for the petition to proceed.
