HC Quashed the Censor Certificate Issued Vyooham Movie

The High Court directed the censor board and its revising committee to reconsider the issuing of clearance certificate to the movie afresh, in accordance with the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983, within three weeks.

Justice Surepalli Nanda on Monday pronounced the order in a petition filed by the Telugu Desam (TD), which objected the clearance certificate as the movie’s trailers, posters and teasers showed that it was made to defame the party and its president Nara Chandrababu Naidu. This was in violation of Rule 24(9) of the Cinematograph Rules. It claimed that the movie’s content was defamatory and this was not addressed by the revising committee.

“The reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution of India, covers defamation as one of the grounds under which the freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) can be restricted and it was also mandated under Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act, 1952. When there is defamation, the said movie cannot be certified,” Telugu Desam’s counsel Unnam Muralidhar told the court.

He said submitted that the examining committee of CBFC had conclusively, unambiguously and unanimously stated in its report that the movie was derogatory, defamatory and may amount of criminal contempt of court, and these aspects ought to be addressed by the revising committee under Rule 24 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules.