SC dismisses Agnivesh’s plea seeking deletion of scenes from Padmaavat

Once CBFC clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed, it said.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea of social activist Swami Agnivesh seeking deletion of scenes from the film ‘Padmaavat’ on the ground that it glorified the practice of ‘Jauhar’.

Members of an organisation carry posters and shout slogans against the release of the Bollywood film Padmaavat near the office of Central Board of Film Certification in Mumbai on January 12. (AP file photo)

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra rejected the plea of Angivesh which also sought lodging of FIR against the producer and director of the film for glorifying the social evil of jauhar (self immolation by widows on their husband’s funeral pyre).

“Once CBFC clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed,” the bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said.

The apex court had trashed several petitions against ‘Padmaavat’s’ release on various grounds. Then the producers had moved the court after some states banned the movie.

The court, on January 18, had set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the film, paving way for its all-India release on January 25.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the SC order, which was dismissed on January 23.

The Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Padmaavat’, based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, has Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications.)