The court upheld producer's right under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution to portray true incidents in 'Vyuham' from their perspective.
Published Feb 07, 2024 | 6:50 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 07, 2024 | 6:50 PM
File photo of the Telangana High Court. (Creative Commons)
The Telangana High Court has directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to re-evaluate the certification status of the Telugu film Vyuham.
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the film was set for release on 9 February.
Previously, a single judge revoked the film’s censor certificate issued in December 2023 following objections raised by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) claiming defamation against the party and its leaders.
Justice Surepalli Nanda instructed the CBFC to review its decision within three weeks.
Subsequently, director Ram Gopal Varma and production company Ramadhutha Creations appealed to the single-judge ruling before a division bench.
The court upheld the producer’s right under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution to portray true incidents in Vyuham from their perspective.
It was argued that Form VIII in the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983 does not mandate the Revising Committee to provide reasons for granting a “U” certificate to a movie.
In light of these arguments, the court pointed out that artistic freedom is a fundamental right of a filmmaker.
“The freedom of artistic creation is protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. However, it is subject to regulation. The Cinematograph Act, 1952 governs the certification and regulation of films for exhibition,” the bench observed.
Vyuham features Ajmal Ameer as Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Manasa RadhaKrishnan as YS Bharathi, and Dhanunjay Prabhune as TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.
