The Supreme Court on Thursday (June 13) ordered the suspension of the film “Hamare Baarah” until the Bombay High Court resolves the case regarding its release, as reported by LiveLaw.
The film, which is scheduled to be released on June 14, is accused of insulting the Islamic religion and marrying Muslim women in India.
The decision was taken by a vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, in response to a plea challenging the Bombay High Court's earlier order allowing the release of the film.
“Till the petition is filed in the High Court, the screening of the film will remain suspended,” the court ordered.
During the trial, the judge said they had watched the film's teaser and found it offensive.
“This morning we saw the teaser. This is the case with all these despicable documents. “The teaser is already available on YouTube,” Justice Mehta said.
Justice Nath added: “The teaser is so offensive that the High Court has granted an interim injunction,” referring to the original interim injunction stopping the release of the film.
The release of “Humara Baarah” was suspended by the High Court
Initially, petitioner Azhar Basha Tamboli had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), seeking to revoke the certification granted to 'Hamare Baarah' and stop its release.
Tamboli argued that the film, which was originally scheduled to release on June 7, violated the Cinematography Act of 1952 and related rules and guidelines. He claimed that the trailer insulted the Islamic religion and misrepresented married Muslim women, thereby potentially violating Articles 19(2) and 25 of the Indian Constitution.
Tamboli also argued that the trailer misrepresented Verse 223, a verse from the Koran, and did not contain the required disclaimer and certification reference from the CBFC. On the other hand, the CBFC stated that the film had been certified following all procedures and objectionable content had been removed. They argued that the trailers on YouTube and BookMyShow quoted by Tamboli were not certified.
After an initial hearing, the Bombay High Court ruled in favor of Tamboli and temporarily postponed the film's release to June 14. The court then ordered the formation of a three-member review committee to evaluate the film and provide feedback.
However, despite the committee requesting additional time, the court ultimately allowed the film to be released, citing the filmmakers' agreement to delete certain dialogues without prejudice.
“Both parties will cooperate fully in processing the main application and will not request any delay,” said the Court, as reported by LiveLaw.
Earlier this week, Annu Kapoor's 'Hamare Baarah' was banned in Karnataka.
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