PADMAAVAT RELEASE: SC WARNS STATES

In a big boost to freedom of speech and expression, the Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat across India by overturning the decision of the four states to ban the film.

The court said that “creative freedom, freedom of speech and expression can’t be guillotined and artistic freedom has to be protected,” and asked the states to grant protection to theatres for release of the film and to provide security to the artistes as well.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, was hearing a petition filed against the ban by Viacom 18 and other producers of the movie, said that if states continue with the ban, they would be liable for the contempt of court. The court also restrained other states from banning the film.

Even though the Censor Board had, on December 30 last year, given a go-ahead to

Padmaavat after much drama and convening a special panel of experts who ordered several cuts and a change of title, Rajasthan and Gujarat decided to ban the film, while MP and Haryana did not issue any formal order but said they would not allow the exhibition of the film.

Refusing to the accept the arguments of additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta on behalf of the four states, that law and order must be kept in mind, the bench said freedom of speech and expression, as a medium of expression on celluloid, cannot be curtailed. in