Movie On Adityanath: Censors to take a call in 2 days

Mumbai: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that it will decide in two days the applications filed by the makers of a movie purportedly based on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's life, seeking certification.

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale initially rapped the CBFC, commonly known as the censor board, for 'sitting on the application' and not passing the order within the timeline prescribed in the rules.

Pursuant to this, the board told the high court that the applications would be decided within two days and the makers would be informed about the decision. The bench accepted the statement and disposed of the petition filed by the makers of the film.

Samrat Cinematics, in its plea filed in the HC, questioned the CBFC's 'arbitrary, unreasonable, and unexplained' delay in processing the certification applications for its film -- Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, including its teaser, trailer and promotional song. The plea claimed that the CBFC had also sought for a No Objection Certificate from the office of the Uttar Pradesh CM.

Senior counsel Ravi Kadam and advocates Satatya Anand and Nikhil Aradhe told the court that as per the rules, the application seeking certification has to be decided within five days.

"The petitioner has in fact sought priority clearance and has paid three times the amount," Kadam told the court.

The bench then said that the censor board has to follow the timeline. "You cannot sit on an application especially when they have paid the priority charges. The application has to be decided," the HC said.

The movie, inspired by the book The Monk Who Became Chief Minister, which is purportedly based on Yogi Adityanath's life, was scheduled for a theatrical release on August 1.