Censor board says offending portions removed from Udaipur Files movie, Delhi High Court orders special screening

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that certain offending portions in the movie ‘Udaipur Files’, based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli's murder in Udaipur, have been removed [Maulana Arshad Madani Vs Union Of India & Ors].

The submission was made before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal during the hearing of public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani seeking ban on the movie.

The Court in the order recorded CBFC's statement that before the movie was certified, certain cuts were proposed and that the same have been effected also. The counsel representing the movie producer confirmed that the cuts have been made.

It then directed the producer to arrange a screening of the movie and the trailer for the counsel appearing in the matter - Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for Madani and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma for CBFC.

Sibal, representing the petitioner, earlier said the movie targeted a particularly community.

"Why did they clear it," Sibal asked about the clearance of the movie by CBFC.

ASG Sharma said the offending portions have been taken down. The Court then asked the petitioner to go through the cuts and come back on Thursday. It also suggested a private screening of the movie to check the edits.

When the counsel representing the movie producers submitted that the petitioner would again raise objections after the screening, the Court took a strong objection to the argument, saying

"What is this? Can the screening of the movie take away their right to challenge the certificate of the film? What is this?"

The movie is slated for release on July 11.

The petitioner moved the Court seeking directions for prohibiting the release, distribution, broadcast or public exhibition of the movie and to remove the trailer of the movie from all digital and social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and X.

As per the petition, the trailer of the movie portrays that the murder of Sahu was committed with the complicity of the leaders of the Muslim community. Such a narrative could create a serious wedge between Hindus and Muslims, the plea has argued.

According to the petition,

“The trailer seeks to portray an entire community in a prejudicial manner thereby violating the right to live with dignity for the members of the community. The movie is of highly provocative nature, capable of creating a wedge between the communities which may cause serious disturbance to public peace and public order across the country.”

The movie portrays a deeply divisive and inflammatory narrative that has the potential to inflame communal tensions and disrupt public order, it said.

Further, the plea also stated that the movie amplifies a controversial statement made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma which had resulted in nationwide communal unrest. 

The petitioner alleged that movie shows highly objectionable scenes showing Muslim clergy having homosexual relations with underage children.

Apart from director and producer of the movie, the distributor, Reliance Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Google, X and Meta have been made parties to the case.