Chennai: The Madras high court observed that once a film is certified for screening by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), no group, organisation or association can demand further censoring on the ground that something in the film hurts religious, communal, racial or linguistic sentiments. Such a demand is tantamount to blackmail and will lead to extortion.
“The authorities should not permit such blackmail to succeed. If it is allowed, it will automatically lead to extortion and the surrender of the power of governance and the rule of law tNeither the censor board nor people had any objection to the filmo a few intolerant people,” said Justice V. Ramasubramanian. He made these observations while directing the police to provide protection to Lyca Production Private Limited which produced the Tamil film Kathi to enable them to have their name exhibited in the film and in the publicity materials. “If any one indulges in any threat, police may take stern action against them,” the judge added.
Before the release of the film, a few organisations and political parties issued threats that they would not allow the screening of the film since the producer company was managed and controlled by persons close to the Sri Lanka President. However, the producer went ahead and made arrangements to release the movie on October 22.
Immediately, a group of hooligans attacked two cinema theatres in Chennai, resulting in two criminal cases. Though the government took prompt action, the producer feared serious consequences and gave a letter of undertaking to Velmurugan of the Thamizhar Vazhvurimai Katchi agreeing to remove their name from their prints and advertisements.
After ensuring a smooth release and safe return of their investment, they gave a representation to the DGP to provide protection so that they could display their names in the film. Since there was no response, they filed the present petition.
Allowing the petition, the judge said the petitioner could have come to court even in the first instance without surrendering to the dictates of the organisation. But discretion became the better part of valour and economic compulsions overtook individual liberties. “Therefore, I cannot throw out the petition by granting judicial approval to a letter of undertaking obtained by an organisation from the petitioner under coercion,” the judge added.
The judge said newspapers reported that the film received record collections. It shows that neither the censor board nor people had any objection to the film as such. “Therefore, the protest itself was not based on any ideology,” the judge added.
