Overview
- On December 12, a Division Bench of Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P.V. Balakrishnan dismissed appeals by the Union Government and the Catholic Congress after watching the film.
- The decision keeps in force the quashing of the CBFC Revising Committee’s A-certificate with mandated cuts and the direction to reconsider certification.
- The Bench held that objections to scenes, including a burqa sequence and alleged conversion, were unfounded and reflected a hypersensitive view, emphasizing that a film must be judged as a whole.
- Earlier, the single judge found four of six proposed excisions unwarranted, while the filmmakers had already agreed to remove two cuts, including a beef biriyani scene.
- A detailed written order is awaited, and the film’s release now depends on the CBFC issuing a fresh certificate in line with the court’s directions.