The Bombay high court has decided to watch Ajey: The Untold Story Of A Yogi to decide on the objections/reasons for rejection communicated by the CBFC to the producers.
The HC bench, while hearing Ravi Kadam,senior advocate along with Satatya Anand and Nikhil Aradhe, advocates for the petitioner (Smart Cinematics), opined that although an alternate remedy (appeal) under section 5-C of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, is available, it is not an absolute bar on the exercise of jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution. The bench also took note of the fact that the CBFC has shown laxity and has taken a rigid approach to outrightly decide and reject the certification application filed by the petitioner for certification of its film. The bench held that the film will have to be viewed in order to understand the context of the objections and ultimately agreed to watch it. The bench also noted that the film has to be viewed in its entirety as per the guidelines and not in pith and substance.
Accordingly, the matter has been listed for August 25 for the court’s decision on the objections given by the CBFC’s Revising Committee, based on which the certification to the film of the petitioner was refused.