Let it be released: Supreme Court on ‘Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder’
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to take up a petition seeking to stay the July 11 release of ‘Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder’ – a film based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal’s murder in Udaipur, Rajasthan in 2022.
“Let it be released,” a Bench led of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, told advocate Pyoli after she mentioned a petition filed by Mohammed Javed – one of the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case – seeking a stay on release of the film on Friday.
“It’s releasing on Friday. Trailer was released on July 4. They are showing only the prosecution side,” she told the Bench. Contending that the film’s release would violate his right to fair trial, she requested the Bench to grant an urgent listing of the petition.
However, Justice Dhulia asked the counsel to mention the matter before the Bench concerned on the reopening of the court on July 14.
Produced by Amit Jani, ‘Udaipur Files’ has been directed by Bharat S Shrinate. The cast of the film includes actors Vijay Raaz, Rajneesh Duggal, Preeti Jhangiani, Kamlesh Sawant, Kanchi Singh and Mushtaq Khan.
Petitioner Mohammed Javed has sought a stay on the film’s release till the trial in the case got over.
Describing the film as communally provocative, he submitted that releasing it at this juncture portraying the accused as guilty has the potential to seriously prejudice the ongoing trial.
“The trailer and promotional material of the said film contain content that is provocative and communally sensitive, which has the potential to disturb the religious harmony of the country and interfere with the ongoing judicial proceedings, as the matter is currently sub judice before a Special NIA Court,” Javed submitted.
The Central Government should have invoked its powers under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, which gives special revisional powers to it to revoke the certification of a film in public interest, he contended.
Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Maulana Arshad Madani has moved the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the film’s release, alleging that it may lead to communal discord and threaten social harmony as it’s trailer was replete with dialogues and instances that had led to communal disharmony in 2022.
“The trailer seeks to portray an entire community in a prejudicial manner thereby violating the right to live with dignity for the members of the community. The movie is of highly provocative nature, capable of creating a wedge between the communities which may cause serious disturbance to public peace and public order across the country,” Madani submitted.
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