Zee Studios, co-producers of the upcoming film ‘Emergency’ starring Kangana Ranaut, has filed a petition with the Bombay High Court requesting an official copy of the film’s certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Zee Studios claims that although they were notified of the film’s certification on August 29, the CBFC has yet to provide an official copy. With the film’s release slated for September 6, Zee Studios is seeking immediate intervention from the court.
The plea, scheduled to be heard by Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla on Wednesday, accuses the CBFC of unlawfully withholding the certification. Notably, the CBFC informed the Madhya Pradesh High Court earlier today that the film has not yet received a censor certificate and will not be released on September 6. It was revealed that the film was certified last month, but the certificate was put on hold due to objections. Although the certificate was emailed, a physical copy was not provided.
The petition before the Bombay High Court supports the CBFC’s current stance. According to Zee Studios, withholding the certificate violates the Cinematograph Act, which requires that certification be communicated in a prescribed format within five days of submission. Zee argues that without this certification, they cannot screen the film, which would cause irreparable harm and infringe on their fundamental rights to free speech and to conduct business under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g).
‘Emergency’ is a biographical political drama depicting the significant period of the national emergency in India in 1975. The film’s trailer, released on August 14, has already garnered nearly 300,000 views on YouTube. However, following the trailer’s release, public interest litigations (PILs) were filed in the High Courts of Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, seeking to halt the film’s release, alleging that it inaccurately portrays the Sikh community.
