Delhi HC directs Udaipur Files screening for petitioners
Delhi high court
on Wednesday directed the producer of 'Udaipur Files', a movie based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal murder case, to arrange a screening of the film for those opposed to its release.
The HC's direction came after the
Central Board of Film Certification
(CBFC) and the makers of the movie claimed that "objectionable" portions had been removed from the film, and there was no ground to stall its release.
The petitions claimed that the movie had the potential to inflame communal tensions and disrupt public order in the country.
A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal directed the producers to arrange the screening on Wednesday itself for senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, including Maulana Arshad Madani, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president and principal of Darul Uloom, Deoband.
The bench asked the petitioners to view the censored version and come back to the court on Thursday.
Earlier, Sibal argued that while free speech is protected, "the film's intent appears to fuel communal disharmony". ASG Chetan Sharma, appearing for I&B ministry and CBFC, responded that the censor board had already removed the flagged content. Sibal, however, maintained that the movie's "overall tone remains problematic", and the entire purpose appeared to be to target an entire community.
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The petitioners said while Lal was murdered by two fanatics, the movie's trailer, released on June 26, "falsely" showed the crime being carried out with the complicity of religious heads/leaders of the community.
The producer informed the court that the trailer had been removed, but Sibal responded that the damage was already done.
The petitioners also claimed that the film violated constitutional morality by weaponising the freedom of expression to weaken the constitutional vision of a plural, inclusive and secular India, and instead attempted to mainstream narratives that would deepen social and religious divisions.
Lal was beheaded in his shop in June 2022 by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous -- who recorded the act and circulated the clip - allegedly for his post supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed.
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