MUMBAI: With just one cut and an ‘A’(restricted for adult audience) certificate, the Bombay high court ruled on Monday, asking the censor board to certify the movie “Udta Punjab” within 48 hours with just one cut instead of 13 suggested by the CBFC, so its producers can release it on June 17.
On Friday, the Bombay High Court passed its judgment claiming that the audience is sensible enough to understand what’s right and what’s wrong. “Audience is mature; let the audience decide. How can you say which word is right and which is wrong? Today’s audience is smart and intelligent. They know what is right and what is wrong. Film industry is not a glass which has to be handled with care. What’s the point of making a film if you cut majority of scenes from it? Also, you want to remove the word ‘Punjab’ from the title, which is pointless,” said the judge.
“Do not act like a grandmother. Change as per the times now,” a bench of SC Dharmadhikari and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi said in its order, which was hailed by the film fraternity as a “landmark judgment”.
“The CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) cannot stop creative people abruptly as it may discourage them. This will kill creativity. These days filmmakers are brutal, direct and straightforward. One need not treat them harshly just because of this.”
“The hard work of lawyers has paid off. I am terribly pleased with the verdict,” director Abhishek Chaubey said.
The film’s co-producer Anurag Kashyap, at the centre of the fight against the censor board, hailed the verdict in a tweet.
The film is scheduled to be released on June 17.