September 20, 2024: The Bombay High Court stated on Thursday that creative freedom and freedom of expression cannot be curtailed, and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cannot deny certification to a film solely due to concerns about law and order. A division bench of Justices BP Kolse-Patil and Firdaus Pooniwala expressed their dissatisfaction with the CBFC’s failure to make a decision on granting a certificate for Kangana Ranaut’s film “Emergency.” The court ordered the board to reach a decision by September 25.
The bench questioned whether the CBFC thinks the people of this country are so naive that they would believe everything shown in a film.
The court remarked that the CBFC must make a decision one way or another, suggesting that if they believe the film cannot be released, at least they would earn respect for their courage and conviction.
