Adipurush Row: SC Stays All Proceedings Against Film Makers in High Courts

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the ongoing proceedings in different high courts against the makers of the film “Adipurush.”

The Court also issued notice on an appeal filed by the film’s makers against the Allahabad High Court’s order summoning them to appear on July 27, 2023.

Additionally, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea seeking the revocation of CBFC certification for the movie, with Justice SK Kaul remarking, “Everyone is touchy about everything now… tolerance for movies, books are going down,” while rejecting relief under Article 32.

“Adipurush,” a retelling of the epic Ramayana, has faced criticism for its dialogues and use of colloquial language.

The bench, also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, issued notice to all parties involved in the case. The Allahabad High Court, on June 30, had directed the film’s makers to appear on July 27 and asked the central government to form a committee to provide its views on the movie.

The High Court was hearing separate petitions by Kuldeep Tiwari and Naveen Dhawan, seeking a ban on the movie. It had ordered director Om Raut, producer Bhushan Kumar, and dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir to appear before it on July 27.

Furthermore, the High Court directed the central government to establish a five-member committee to assess whether the film had hurt public sentiments. It also instructed the government to review the decision to grant the movie its certification.

The High Court specified that the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) should file their personal affidavits to inform whether the guidelines for certification of the film for public exhibition were adhered to in letter and spirit.