Viacom 18 Motion Pictures has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the ban against their upcoming film Padmaavat in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. The case will be heard tomorrow, according to a report on Bar & Bench, a website for legal news.
The producers have claimed the ban questions the credibility of the information and broadcasting ministry that governs the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), since CBFC has cleared the film to be released with a U/A certificate.
Last November, the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition calling for a ban on the film, saying the decision came under CBFC's jurisdiction. The petitioner had alleged that the film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, depicted queen Padmavati in poor light.
Haryana is the latest state to have banned Padmaavat. The news came to light after Haryana’s health minister, Anil Vij, tweeted about the ban yesterday, 16 January. “Film Padmavati/Padmavat banned in Haryana,” he wrote.
As reported by Bar & Bench, the case will be heard by the chief justice of India, Dipak Misra.
Justice Misra was in the news recently when four Supreme Court judges held a press conference to speak against his process of allotting cases to the judges.