Chennai: The police will face a tough task ahead as the Madras high court has directed the cops to prevent children and teenagers from watching newly released Priyanka Chopra’s film “Baywatch”.
When a petition filed by Vaikunth Kasturirangan seeking a direction to suspend the screening of the film in India came up for hearing before the first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, it has directed the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai City and Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, to ensure that persons, who are not adults, are not permitted to the screening of the film “Baywatch” as it has in fact been cleared with “A” Certificate.
The bench said, “There are no cogent materials on the basis of which this court can definitely arrive at the conclusion that persons who are not adults are being allowed entry to the screening of the film. A blanket order suspending the screening of the film not only in this state but all over India, as prayed for in the writ petition, prima facie appears to us to be motivated. We are not inclined to pass a blanket order suspending the screening of the film, when on the face of the averments in the writ petition; the film has been cleared by the CBFC. We direct the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai, and the DGP, to ensure that persons who are not adults are not permitted entry to the screening of the Film “Baywatch” if, as contended by the petitioner the film has in fact been cleared with “A” Certificate.”
The petitioner sought for a direction to immediately suspend all forms of screening of the Film, which is scheduled to be screened across India on June 2, 2017. The producers misled the public by suppressing the fact that it was certified as “A” rating by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The American action comedy film was directed by Seth Gordon and based on the television series of Baywatch. Among others, Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach acted in the film.
