HC pulls up CBFC for delay in certifying film on Yogi Adityanath

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday questioned the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over its delay in certifying Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, a film purportedly based on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's life. The court also took note of the fact that the film draws from a published book that has been in the public domain for years without incident. HC pulls up CBFC for delay in certifying film on Yogi Adityanath
A division bench of justices Revati Mohite Dere and Dr Neela Gokhale was hearing a petition filed by the film's producers, Samrat Cinematics India Pvt Ltd, challenging the CBFC's refusal to certify the movie. The film is said to be inspired by Shantanu Gupta's 2017 biography of Adityanath, The Monk Who Became Chief Minister.
The court issued a notice to the CBFC and directed it to respond by Friday.
The petitioners told the court that they first applied for certification on June 5. Under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, the board is required to process such applications within a week and schedule a screening within the next 15 days. However, more than a month had passed without any communication, they said.
Calling the delay 'arbitrary, unreasonable, and unexplained,' the producers alleged that the CBFC had stalled the process deliberately, despite the film being slated for release on August 1 across over 1,500 cinema halls. They also said they reapplied under the board's 'priority scheme,' paying three times the usual fee, and were given a screening date of July 7—which was later cancelled without any explanation.
The producers further alleged that the CBFC had asked them to procure a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh chief minister's office (CMO)—a demand they termed 'erroneous and extraneous,' citing no such requirement in the certification rules.
'It is a matter of record that the book which forms the foundation of the film has been officially endorsed by the CMO,' the petition said, adding that the film was a 'truthful, respectful, and inspiring portrayal' of a public figure.
The court observed that the censor board could not sit indefinitely on an application, especially after charging priority fees. 'The application has to be decided. You cannot just sit on it,' the bench said.
Notably, a similar petition had been disposed of on July 17, after the CBFC told the court that it would take a decision on certification within two days. The producers have now returned to court, alleging continued inaction and seeking relief ahead of the film's scheduled release.