The Bombay High Court Today (Aug 21) said it will watch the film Ajey: The Untold Story before deciding on the CBFC’s refusal to give it certification. The film is inspired by a book based on UP CM Yogi Adityanath.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
MAHARASHTRA: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said that it will first watch the film Ajey: The Untold Story before deciding on the petition filed by the film’s makers against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The CBFC had refused to give the film certification.
The film is inspired by the book The Monk Who Became Chief Minister, and is said to be based on the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
A Bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Neela Gokhale asked the producers to submit a copy of the film, with clear markings of the scenes and portions flagged by the CBFC. The Court has already received a copy of the book on which the movie is based.
Earlier, on August 7, the Court had directed the CBFC to watch the film and give its objections to the filmmakers by August 11, so that they could think about making changes. The CBFC’s Examining Committee raised 29 objections on August 11. But since the filmmakers did not reply or suggest any changes by August 12, the CBFC’s Revising Committee then watched the film.
The Revising Committee dropped 8 of the objections but finally rejected the film’s certification on August 17. On August 18, the producers asked for permission to change their petition to also challenge this rejection order of the Revising Committee.
The Court kept the case for hearing today to first decide whether such a changed petition is legally valid, as there is already an appeal mechanism available under the Cinematograph Act.
Senior Advocate Abhay Khandeparkar, appearing for the CBFC, told the Court that the board had always followed the principles of natural justice and that the filmmakers still have the legal remedy of filing an appeal under the Cinematograph Act.
The filmmakers disagreed. Their lawyer, Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam, argued that the plea before the High Court is valid and maintainable. He said that the CBFC Revising Committee’s rejection not only violates the fundamental rights of the filmmakers but also goes beyond its powers.
Kadam explained that the CBFC wrongly directed the filmmakers to obtain a NOC from a private individual, Yogi Adityanath, before releasing the movie.
“They are not the guardians of a private person’s fundamental rights,”
–Kadam argued.
The Court also said that even if another legal remedy is available, its own writ jurisdiction cannot be ruled out. The Bench strongly criticised the CBFC for the way it handled the case and for failing to ensure natural justice from the very beginning.
“You should have done this in the beginning… When did you follow the principles of natural justice? This is an exercise you ought to have done for every film… You have failed to do it,”
–the Bench remarked.
The case will now be heard again on August 25.
- Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam, along with Advocates Aseem Naphde, Satatya Anand, and Nikhil Aradhe, appeared for Samrat Cinematics, the producers of the film.
- Senior Advocate Abhay Khandeparkar and Advocate DP Singh represented the CBFC.
CASE TITLE:
Samrat Cinematics India Pvt. Ltd vs CBFC and Ors.
LAST HEARING (AUG 7) IN BOMBAY HC
The Bombay High Court on Aug 7 gave clear instructions to the makers of the film Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, which is loosely based on a book inspired by the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Court said the producers must now go to the Revising Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for further review.
ALSO READ: Justice Yashwant Varma And Burnt Cash Found at Delhi Bungalow: A Timeline Of Events
Earlier, the CBFC’s Examining Committee had rejected the film’s application for a censor certificate. The producers of the film, Samrat Cinematics, were not granted the certification.
So now, the Court has directed them to take their case to the CBFC’s Revising Committee.
As per the Court’s order, the CBFC must tell the film’s producers by Monday, August 11, exactly which scenes or dialogues in the movie are objectionable.
The producers must then inform the High Court on Tuesday, August 12 about what changes they will be making to the film. The case will again be heard on Wednesday, August 14.
The Bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Neela Gokhale had earlier directed the CBFC to watch the entire film and issue a proper, detailed decision.
Senior Advocate Abhay Khandeparkar, who represented the CBFC, informed the Court that the Board did screen the film and has issued a reasoned order as directed by the Court. He also clarified that the filmmakers are free to file an appeal before the Revising Committee of the CBFC.
He explained to the Court that the issue is not only because the movie is about a constitutional personality, but also because “certain scenes in the movie could be considered ‘defamatory’ and ‘objectionable.’”
Advocate Aseem Naphade, appearing for the producers of the film, told the Court that the CBFC never told them which exact scenes were the problem before rejecting their application. He referred to Section 4(2) of the Cinematograph Act, which says the Board should clearly communicate to the filmmakers what scenes need to be removed or changed.
The Court had also expressed its disappointment on Wednesday with the CBFC’s vague explanation. It had pointed out that the reason given by the Board was too short and not enough to justify the rejection.
“This is not enough. You are not aggrieved by the fact that the film is based on a constitutional figure. If you think there are certain scenes that are in contravention of the guidelines, you should have brought it to their notice.”
The Court also said that the CBFC’s August 6 order was not properly made according to the rules. The judges observed this point during oral arguments in the hearing.
- Advocates Satatya Anand and Nikhil Aradhe also appeared in Court on behalf of the film’s producers.
CASE TITLE:
Samrat Cinematics India Pvt. Ltd vs CBFC and Ors
JULY 17th HEARING IN BOMBAY HC
The Bombay High Court on July 17 heard an urgent petition filed by the producers of the upcoming Hindi film Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, which is said to be inspired by the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The film is reportedly based on the book The Monk Who Became Chief Minister.
The matter was brought before a bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale, where the filmmakers raised strong concerns over the delay by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in granting the necessary certificate for release.
At the beginning of the hearing, no official from CBFC was present in court. However, a lawyer representing the Union of India appeared and requested additional time from the court to respond.
Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam, representing the film’s producers, expressed the stress and loss being caused due to the delay.
He emotionally stated,
“I am suffering every day.”
The Court made it clear that they were not making any decision about the content or certification itself but emphasized the CBFC’s duty to act without unnecessary delay.
The bench remarked,
“We are not deciding anything.. The only question is CBFC has to decide on the NOC..”
Kadam further informed the Court that the film is scheduled to release on August 1 and that all preparations have been completed.
He submitted,
“First August is the release. I have booked screens everywhere.”
The judges, while showing concern for the delay and the impact on the filmmakers, responded firmly,
“If you have the names, give us.. We will keep it at 1:30. Otherwise, we will direct them to decide within [a timeframe]. We will direct them to strictly follow the timeline. Last time someone had appeared on behalf of CBFC and had sought time. So we will keep it at 1:30. CBFC can’t sit on the certification.”
The Court clearly indicated that the CBFC cannot continue postponing its decision and is expected to act within a definite timeframe, especially when release deadlines and public screenings are at stake.
As the hearing continues, all eyes are on the CBFC’s response and whether the film will meet its intended release date.
CASE TITLE:
Samrat Cinematics India Pvt. Ltd vs CBFC and Ors
BACKGROUND
The Bombay High Court on July 15 asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to explain why it is delaying the approval of the movie ‘Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi’. The filmmakers say CBFC is not doing its work on time, and this is affecting their release plans and causing big losses.
The film is inspired by the book ‘The Monk Who Became Chief Minister’, which is said to be based on the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The movie is planned for release in theatres on August 1, 2025.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale gave notice to CBFC after a CBFC official present in court asked for time to appoint a lawyer. The next hearing will happen on July 17.
The court also orally said that CBFC must work within the time given by law and cannot avoid its responsibility. As the judges said, CBFC cannot “shy away” from its legal duty.
The production company, Samrat Cinematics India Pvt. Ltd., has filed the petition. They say the CBFC is delaying the approval of the film, teaser, trailer, and a promotional song without any proper reason. Even though the film is ready to release nationwide on August 1, they are still waiting for approval.
The petition also says that CBFC is wrongly asking for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the UP Chief Minister’s Office. The filmmakers say there is no such rule in the Cinematograph Act, 1952 or the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.
The petition clearly says,
“It is pertinent to note that such an erroneous requirement / request is not only extremely prejudicial to the professional interests of the Petitioner but also detrimental to its financial interests. Further, an irrational, unreasonable and illegal demand / requirement being put forward by CBFC for obtaining a NOC from the CMO’s office is nothing but a ploy to delay the release of the motion picture ‘Ajey’, that too when the same is due for theatrical release on August 1st, 2025.”
According to the petition, the filmmakers applied for CBFC approval on June 5, 2025. As per Rule 37, CBFC should check the application in 7 days and send it for screening within 15 days. But almost a month passed without any response.
Then, on July 3, the production team applied again using the priority scheme, and paid three times the normal fee, as advised by CBFC officials, under Rule 33(2). The screening was scheduled for July 7, but it was suddenly cancelled on July 6 with no further update.
Later, when the filmmakers checked their application status on July 12, it showed “Incomplete” with a vague comment: “Provide Documentary Evidence”, but no clear instruction on what was missing.
The filmmakers say that all these actions are harming them badly. The petition says they have already spent around Rs 30 crore before the release, and will spend another Rs 10 crore more in promotions. Because of this delay, many promotional plans have been cancelled or changed, causing huge financial loss and poor marketing.
The film is based on the well-known book ‘The Monk Who Became Chief Minister’ by Shantanu Gupta, which was published in 2017, is available in 12 languages, and has many readers.
The petition adds that the book is already accepted by the UP CM’s office. The film shows a respectful and fact-based story about the leadership journey of a public figure.
The filmmakers also claim that CBFC’s behaviour is against their fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a), 19(1)(g), and 21 of the Indian Constitution. They want the Court to tell CBFC to approve the film and its promotional material within 5 days using the priority scheme. They also asked the Court to fix a date for the film’s immediate screening.
- Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam, along with advocates Satatya Anand, Nikhil Aradhe, Aakash Sinha, Arjun Aggarwal, and Vrinda Bagaria, appeared for the filmmakers in court.
ALSO READ: Delhi High Court Bans 56 Piracy Websites from Streaming ‘Maalik’ and ‘Sarbala Ji’ Movies
CASE TITLE:
Samrat Cinematics India Pvt. Ltd vs CBFC and Ors
Would You Like Assistance In Drafting A Legal Notice Or Complaint?
CLICK HERE
Click Here to Read Our Reports on CM Yogi Adityanath Biopic ‘Ajey’
Click Here to Read Our Reports on CBFC
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
