Why insist on NOC from any authority to certify film 'based on' Adityanath?: Bombay HC to CBFC

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday questioned as to why the censor board was insisting on a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from an authority for clearing a movie purportedly based on the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale was informed during a hearing that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has rejected the plea for certification by makers of the movie, "Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi," based on a book written on the life of Adityanath.

The makers's advocates, Aseem Naphade, Satatya Anand and Nikhil Aradhe, said one of the grounds for rejection of the certification plea was absence of an NOC from the Chief Minister's Officer (CMO).

The censor board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in its decision, also noted there were some scenes and dialogues in the movie that need to be deleted or reworked.

The makers said if the CBFC clarifies about these objectionable scenes and dialogues, then they would be modified accordingly.

The bench then questioned as to why the CBFC was insisting on a certificate or an NOC from an authority for certifying a film.

The court asked the CBFC to inform the makers of the film what the objectionable scenes and dialogues are so that they can issue a disclaimer or rework the same.

Senior advocate Abhay Khandeparkar, appearing for the CBFC, said the certification application was rejected after seeing the movie and the makers can file an appeal against the decision before the review committee of the regulatory agency.

The movie was a biopic with the name of an authority, similar timeline and also same speech but the makers claim it was a work of fiction, Khandeparkar argued.

The bench noted the movie was based on a book that was released five years ago.

Khandeparkar then contended that the impact of a book and a movie is different.

The bench asked the filmmakers to approach the review committee which has to take a decision with detailed reasons by August 14.

The film, originally slated for release in theatres on August 1, is inspired by the book, 'The Monk Who Became Chief Minister', which is purportedly based on Adityanath's life.

Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the CBFC.