"Revising Committee Suggested Some More Cuts To Makers": CBFC Tells Bombay High Court On Release Of Kangana Ranaut Starrer 'Emergency'

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that its revising committee has suggested some cuts to the makers of the controversial film "Emergency" and only then the film starring BJP lawmaker Kangana Ranaut, can be released.

However, Zee Studios, the co-producer of the film, urged the division bench of Justices Burgess Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla to adjourn the hearing as it would want to seek instructions on whether the cuts can be made or not.

When the matter was called out, Justice Colabawalla at the outset said, "Please give us some good news."

To this, advocate Dr Abhinav Chandrachud for the CBFC, responded, "Our revising committee has suggested certain cuts in the film. If the same are made, it (film) can be released."

However, senior counsel Sharan Jagtiani representing the Zee Studios, sought some time to take instructions on whether the cuts, as suggested by the censor board's revising committee, could be made.

The judges, therefore, adjourned the hearing till Monday.

The bench was hearing a plea filed by Zee Studios, seeking a direction to the CBFC to issue a certificate for the release of the film. The co-producer has contended that the censor board has initially granted an e-certificate and had also intimated Ranaut about the same through emails. However, it refused to hand over the hard copy of the certificate citing various objections to the film, raised particularly by Sikh Community.

On the other hand, the CBFC has maintained that it never issued an e-certificate and that the emails, which are being relied upon by Ranaut and Zee, were auto-generated mails. The bench had however, ordered CBFC to consider the objections, if any, to the film and take a decision by September 18.

In a previous hearing, the bench was irked to know that the CBFC has now referred the matter to its revising committee. Meanwhile, the Zee Studios alleged before the bench, that the CBFC was acting on behalf of the Central Government and was thus purposely delaying the film's release as the BJP, which is in power, doesn't want the film to impact the upcoming elections in Haryana, since it is being seen as "Anti-sikh."