Court can’t remain silent on ‘Adipurush’, says HC

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court yet again pulled up the makers of ‘Adipurush’, saying on Wednesday that the characters of the Ramayana have been depicted in a “funny manner” in the film.
On Tuesday, the court had slammed the filmmakers and asked how the Central Board of Film Certification had cleared the film for public viewing.
“Why are such movies made on the Ramayana, the Quran or the Bible that disturb religious feelings of the people,” the bench said while hearing a PIL petition filed by Kuldeep Tiwari and Naveen Dhawan seeking a ban on the movie.
“Lord Shiv was shown to be running with his trishul in a movie. Now Lord Rama and other characters of the Ramayana have been shown in a very shameful manner. Should it not stop,” the bench asked in a crowded open court. The bench clarified that the court had no religious inclination and if the same pleas had come up before it regarding the Quran or the Bible, it would have taken the same tough stand.
During the hearing, a vacation bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Shree Prakash Singh asked whether the court should remain silent regarding the manner in which the movie has been made.
Expressing the need for specific guidelines for the clearing of such movies by the censor board, the bench stressed that films made on religious subjects should not “instigate” the feelings of any community.
Sensitising filmmakers, Justice Singh said they should make movies showing the sacrifice of Lord Rama and his love of his brother Bharat.
On the plea of the production house’s lawyer, Sudeep Seth, that there is no book that depicted the attire of Lord Rama and other characters of the Ramayana and hence why should there be any objection to the attire used in the movie, Justice Singh asked him if he did not go through the original copy the Constitution of India, which contained pictures of Lord Rama and other characters in decent attire.
Seth was speechless when the bench asked him if he would like to worship the idols in his puja room as shown indecently dressed in the movie.
The bench also asked deputy solicitor-general SB Pandey why the central government was not reviewing the certificate granted by the censor board. Pandey said the bench should provide a solution.
Pandey, however, opposed the PILs, saying that the censor board had granted the certificate after a panel of senior board members had watched the film and cleared it. “Better sense should prevail on such sacramental matters,” the bench said sharply.