A panel of judges led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul expressed concern over the declining acceptance of creative work in society.
The Supreme Court took action to stay orders and proceedings against the producers of the Hindi feature film Adipurush issued by multiple High Courts.
The bench, including Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia, heard several petitions, one of which was a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to revoke the film’s screening certification.
The PIL argued that the film offended Hindu sensibilities and distorted sacred texts, but the bench did not find these claims to be substantial.
Justice Kaul questioned the necessity for the court to intervene under Article 32, stating that there seems to be an increasing sensitivity to various issues, leading to a lack of tolerance for creative works in films and literature.
The bench firmly dismissed the PIL, emphasizing the importance of cinematic liberties and explaining that the court should not interfere based on individual sensibilities. It clarified that the court’s jurisdiction does not extend to deciding certification appeals, and dissatisfied parties should seek legal remedies through appropriate channels.
Other appeals were filed by T-Series, the film’s production company, challenging orders and proceedings in different High Courts. One primary petition contested the summons issued by the Allahabad High Court to the film’s creators in response to forceful statements.
The Supreme Court issued a notice of appeal and suspended the proceedings before the Allahabad and Calcutta High Courts.
Since its release, the film has faced litigation, leading to alterations in certain sequences and dialogues due to objections from various segments of society.
The Allahabad High Court criticized the portrayal of certain characters in the film, deeming it disgraceful and offensive.
Consequently, the Court ordered the film’s director Om Raut, producer Bhushan Kumar, and dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir to personally appear before the Court on July 27, along with personal affidavits explaining their legitimacy.
Furthermore, the High Court directed the formation of an expert committee to assess whether Adipurush stays true to the Ramayana, which reportedly served as its inspiration.
