The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared decks for country-wide release of controversial movie ‘Nanakshah Fakir’ on April 13. The apex court criticised Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committe (SGPC) for attempting to stop the release of the film based on the life and teachings of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, passed the order after hearing from the Producer of the Punjabi movie, and the SGPC and others.
It said, once the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) grants the due permission through issuing a certificate for release of a film in theatres, no one has any right to stop its public screening. Accepting senior Supreme Court advocate, R S Suri’s argument that it infringes the fundamental right of expression of the filmmaker, the bench said no individual or group can assume authority of CBFC to stop or allow screening of a film. The court asked all states to maintain law and order and ensure smooth release of the film.
