On Thursday, Chief Justice TS Shivagnam dismissed the case, stating, “There is a Supreme Court ruling on banning books or movies. You can choose to watch or not watch. No one is being forced. This is normal in a democratic society.
KOLKATA: The trailer for director Sanoj Mishra’s film The Diary of West Bengal was released in May 2023. Following its release, the film sparked controversy throughout Bengal, leading to a legal notice being sent to the Bengal Director of Police, accusing the film of defaming the state’s honor.
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Recently, Rajeev Kumar Jha filed a case in the Calcutta High Court seeking to block the film’s release.
However, on Thursday, Chief Justice TS Shivagnam dismissed the case, stating,
“There is a Supreme Court ruling on banning books or movies. You can choose to watch or not watch. No one is being forced. This is normal in a democratic society.
Criticism is a right. We have many serious cases to address. The people of this state are very tolerant. Let them decide.”
Following the release of Jhalak last year, director Sanoj Mishra told media,
“This film is not intended to undermine the honor of Bengal. We have presented factual information based on thorough research.”
The trailer features footage from various events in Bengal and includes characters with dialogues reminiscent of Bengal’s political figures. Notably, a character modeled after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appears in the trailer.
The film is produced by Jitendra Narayan Singh, Tapas Mukherjee, and Achintya Bose, and features largely unknown actors.
