Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday questioned as to why the censor board was insisting on a No Objection Certificate from an authority for clearing a movie purportedly based on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
CBFC Denied Certification Over Lack of NOC from Yogi Adityanath’s Office
A bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale was informed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had refused certification to the film Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, inspired by the book The Monk Who Became Chief Minister, said to be based on the CM’s life.
Appearing for the filmmakers, advocates Aseem Naphade, Satatya Anand and Nikhil Aradhe said one of the reasons cited by the CBFC was the absence of an NOC from the CM’s office. The board also raised objections to certain scenes and dialogues, which it said needed to be deleted or modified.
Court Asks Why Filmmakers Can’t Add Disclaimer or Modify Scenes
The court questioned the insistence on an NOC and asked why the CBFC could not instead specify the problematic content. The bench said the makers could be asked to rework the material or add a disclaimer.
CBFC Claims Film Mimics Biopic Despite Fiction Tag
Senior advocate Abhay Khandeparkar, representing the CBFC, said the certification was denied after the board viewed the film, which resembled a biopic with the same name, timeline and speeches as the real-life figure. He added that while the filmmakers claim it is fictional, the impact of a film is vastly different from that of a book.
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HC Directs Filmmakers to Approach Revising Committee by Aug 14
The court noted the book was released five years ago and directed the filmmakers to approach the Revising Committee. The committee must take a reasoned decision by August 14. The film was initially scheduled for release on August 1.
