‘Emergency’ Release Delayed: Bombay HC Denies Immediate CBFC Certification

Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency faced a setback on Wednesday when the Bombay High Court refused to issue an order regarding the movie’s certification.

The film’s release, set for September 6, has been postponed by two weeks to allow the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to address objections before issuing a certification.

The Bombay High Court was petitioned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the film’s producer, who sought an order directing the CBFC to issue the film’s certificate. The plea argued that while the certificate was ready, it had not been issued due to concerns about potential law and order issues following the film’s release. Justices B P Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla confirmed that the certificate was prepared but not issued.

The court noted that if not for the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order, it might have directed the CBFC to issue the certificate immediately. “We know that there is something else happening behind. We don’t want to comment on it. The CBFC shall consider the objections and take a decision by September 18,” the bench stated.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier directed the CBFC to consider objections from Sikh groups, who argue that the film contains scenes that could offend their religious sentiments. The court had instructed the CBFC to address these objections before issuing the film’s certificate.

The Bombay High Court stated that it could not grant relief to Zee Entertainment because doing so would conflict with the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order. “If we grant relief today, it would directly contradict the order passed by the Madhya Pradesh HC. We cannot ask the CBFC to breach another HC order,” the bench explained.

The biographical drama, which has been criticized by Sikh organizations including the Shiromani Akali Dal for allegedly misrepresenting historical facts and the community, is now scheduled for release after September 18.

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