Gujarat HC Issues Notices To CBFC, Makers Of ‘Guthlee Ladoo’ Film Over Alleged Use Of Casteist Term Against Valmikis

A bench of Justice Vaibhavi Nanavati issued a notice returnable on October 11. The film is scheduled to be released on October 13.

The petition has been filed by one Nimesh Vaghela through Advocate Vishal Thakker seeking the removal of a word (Bhangi) claiming that the said word has been used a number of times in the movies, thereby hurting the sentiments of the Valmiki community.

The petition submits that by using the said word in the film, there has been a violation of the provisions of The Cinematograph Act 1952 as well as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention and Atrocities) Act 1989.

The petition claims that the word in question has been used several times during a conversation between a mother and son in the movie trailer. The petition apprehends that there would be more and more derogatory conversations about the Valmiki caste in the movie.

“The act of filmmakers is one such act, which has tried to commit a constitutional tort against the Valmiki Samaj, who have been prejudiced from the beginning by the upper class of the society. The members of Valmiki Samaj have been kept away from schools, societies, and basic infrastructure since the beginning. The movie Guthlee Ladoo describes the agony of a kid of Valmiki Samaj, but at the same time usage of the term. Bhangi has been quiet often, and the same has hurt the feelings of the people of Valmiki Samaj,” the petition says.

The petitioner has stated in his petition that he has made representation against the movie before the President of India, the CBFC Chairman, and the president of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes as well as the state’s Chief minister.

The petition also seeks the withdrawal of the certificate issued to the film claiming that the usage of the controversial word could lead to large-scale violence if the film gets released.