New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the ban by four states on the release of controversial Bollywood film “Padmavaat”.
Staying the “notifications and orders” banning the release of the controversial film by the three states, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilklar and Justice DY Chandrachud said that the remaining states will also not issue orders banning the screening of the film.
Referring to its earlier judgement, the court said that it was incumbent upon the state governments to ensure the maintanence of law and order.
The court order came on the plea by the producers of the film — Bhansali Productions and Viacom18 Motion Pictures — challenging the ban on the screening of the film by the Gujarat, Rajasthan nand Haryana governments.
Appearing for the film’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, senior advocate Harish Salve took advantage of a 2011 judgment of the SC that allowed the screening of Prakash Jha’s controversial film ‘Aarakshan’.
It upheld the petitioners’ contention that the film formed a part of the filmmaker’s freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.
The matter was posted for further hearing on March 26.