New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed a special screening of the controversial film ‘Udaipur files’ before the verdict on the petitions demanding a decision on the petitions prescribed for July 11.
The film, inspired by the 2022 murder of Kanhaiya Lal, tailor in Udaipur, has allegedly criticized for reducing communal tension.
The instructions came during the hearing of Tuesday, where additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), informed the court that 40–50 objectionable elements were already removed from both the trailer and the film. The CBFC proposed these cuts before certification, and was duly implemented.
A bench, including Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Anish Dayal, ordered a screening of the sensor version for all counsels, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for petitioners Maulana Arshad Madani (President of Jamit Ulama-e-Hind) and Prashant Tondon.
The court asked all the parties to return with their comments after screening, which was prescribed for that day after. The matter will resume on Wednesday.
The petitioners argue that the film harasses a religious community and can provoke violence. Sibal insisted that freedom of expression should not override the public order, saying, “Even though some scenes have been removed, the subject remains upset.”
Petitions also increase constitutional concerns, alleging violations of Articles 14, 15, and 21, and warned that the drama of unresolved legal matters-as the Gyanvapi mosque may be an amount for contempt of case. Critics further accused two radical persons of defying the facts of Udaipur murder by suggesting a comprehensive religious conspiracy instead of focusing on.
Maulana Madani publicly condemned the film, called it a threat to India’s secular clothes and criticized CBFC, which he described as a failure in regulatory inspection.
