The Delhi High Court on Thursday stayed the release of the film Udaipur Files, which is based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur. The movie, produced by Amit Jani, was set to release on Friday but has now been put on hold pending further review.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyay and Justice Anish Dayal directed petitioner Maulana Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, to approach the Union government within two days under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, to seek cancellation of the film’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance. The court clarified that the stay will remain in force until the Centre decides on the plea.
The judges noted that the government has the authority under the Act to issue interim orders, including suspending a film's certification. They further instructed the Centre to decide on the matter within seven days of receiving the petition, after giving the producer a chance to respond.
The court’s order came in response to petitions filed by three individuals, including Madani, seeking to halt the film's release and revoke its CBFC certificate. On Wednesday, the court had asked the producers to arrange a special screening for the petitioners after the CBFC claimed that objectionable portions had been cut.
However, after the screening, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Madani, argued that the film amounts to hate speech, as it portrays a particular community negatively in nearly every scene, threatening public order and communal harmony.
In response, the CBFC maintained that the film focuses on the crime, not on any specific community. Producer Amit Jani, represented by advocate Shreyas Lalit, described the movie as a “fictionalised narrative” meant to expose foreign elements seeking to incite religious tension in India.
Jani also revealed that significant investments had been made in the film’s release, including bookings in over 1,800 theatres and the sale of 100,000 tickets. He added that an uncensored trailer was taken down on July 2 and replaced with a revised version following a show-cause notice.
Kanhaiya Lal was murdered in June 2022 in Udaipur after allegedly supporting controversial remarks made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently probing the case, and the accused are being tried under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a special court in Jaipur.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)