Following the writ petition by the Chennai student, Raajkamal Films International requesting to quash the writ petition, informed the Madras High Court that they had blurred the mobile phone number and had obtained a fresh censor board certificate before releasing the movie on Netflix.
Published Dec 09, 2024 | 12:01 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 09, 2024 | 12:01 PM
A poster of the film 'Amaran'. (X)
Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi’s Amaran after completing a successful theatrical run collecting over ₹300 crore, is now available for a wider audience on Netflix.
The OTT version however excluded the scene showing the personal mobile number of an engineering student based in Chennai, which led to him being flooded with calls from unknown people.
The scene was between the lead actors, wherein, Sai Pallavi’s Indu throws a crumpled paper with her phone number towards Sivakarthikeyan’s Mukund.
The film based on the life of Major Mukund Varadarajan, who was killed in an encounter with militants from Hizbul Mujahideen, was embroiled in multiple controversies, from receiving criticism for the portrayal of Kashmiris in the film, to a legal suit by a Chennai-based engineering student against the said scene.
Soon after the film was released on Deepavali, 31 October, Vaageesan’s phone started to flood with calls from unknown numbers, mostly from Sai Pallavi’s fans wanting to speak to her. The fans assumed the phone number was Sai Pallavi’s, while a few others assumed the number was Indu Rebecca Varghese’s.
“Since the release of the movie, I have not been able to sleep, study, or carry out basic activities without interruptions. The moment I switch on my phone, strangers call me. I am unable to even book a cab and call/receive the driver due to continuous incoming calls,” the student said.
The Chennai-based student VV Vaageesan sent a legal notice to the producer and director of the film demanding the clip showing his number be removed and also seeking ₹1.1 crore as compensation.
According to The Hindu report, the student on 5 December, filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court to quash the censor board certificate issued to Amaran.
He also sought an interim injunction restraining the production firm Raajkamal Films International, from releasing the movie on OTT platforms until the disposal of his writ petition.
On 6 December, Raajkamal Films International requesting to quash the writ petition, informed the Madras High Court that they had blurred the mobile phone number and had obtained a fresh censor board certificate before releasing the movie on Netflix.
The judge pointed out that the changes made by the producers to the scene and the new censor certificate rendered the writ petition irrelevant. The petitioner’s counsel, however, sought interim compensation of ₹1.1 crore.
The judge questioned how compensation could be awarded in writ proceedings, suggesting the petitioner file a civil suit for damages over privacy infringement and mental distress caused by the phone number display.
Despite this, the petitioner’s counsel insisted on continuing with the writ. The judge then directed the production firm to submit a counter-affidavit by 20 December and issued notices to the Central Board of Film Certification, the film’s director Rajkumar Periyasamy, and Bharti Airtel Limited.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
