Madras HC Rejects Plea to Stop ‘Dhurandhar 2’ Screening During Polls

The case arose from pleas filed by petitioners who argued that the film contained political themes that could potentially influence voters ahead of the state elections. They contended that screening such content during the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct could amount to indirect political promotion and therefore should be restricted

However, the court was not convinced by these arguments. It emphasized that the film had already been granted certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and notably, the petitioners had not challenged this certification before seeking a ban on its screening.

While dismissing the petitions, the bench highlighted a crucial legal point — in the absence of any challenge to the CBFC certification, there was no valid ground for judicial intervention.

The court made its stance clear with the observation:

“What is the law that a movie cannot be released when the Model Code of Conduct is in place? The CBFC has given a certificate. It’s not challenged. Unless that is challenged, nothing can be done. The statutory body has permitted.“

The High Court further indicated that neither the Model Code of Conduct nor any existing law explicitly prohibits the release of a film during an election period, provided it has received the necessary certification.

With this ruling, the court dismissed the petitions, reinforcing the principle that statutory approvals cannot be bypassed without proper legal challenge.

Courts have also taken a similar stance in matters involving public interest and expression during national events