No Relief for Udaipur Files as Supreme Court Upholds Stay, Seeks Swift Govt Action

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court declined to lift the Delhi High Court’s stay on the release of Udaipur Files, a film based on the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli in Udaipur.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi allowed the Central government to continue reviewing the film, as the High Court had earlier directed.

“We will keep the matter pending and consider the Union government’s view. If they raise no objections, we will take that into account. If they suggest edits, we will also review those. Since a committee is already in place and the Centre is actively examining the film, we can wait a day or two,” the bench stated.

The Court instructed the review committee to take an immediate decision on the objections raised, emphasizing that the process should not face any delays.

The Court scheduled the next hearing for July 21.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court deferred its hearing on the release of Udaipur Files, choosing to wait for the Central government to complete its review of the film, which portrays the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli in Udaipur.

The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi, observed that the Delhi High Court had not commented on the film’s content but had directed the petitioners to seek a remedy through the Central government. The Court acknowledged that the government holds the power to impose interim restrictions on film exhibitions and confirmed that a committee would examine the movie.

“In such a situation, we find it appropriate to defer the hearing and await the outcome of proceedings before the Central government,” the Court stated. The judges also allowed one of the accused in the murder case to present his views before the review committee.

The Court is currently hearing two petitions — one from the producers challenging the Delhi High Court’s July 10 stay order, and another from an accused in the murder case, who argues that releasing the film would jeopardize his right to a fair trial.

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Supreme Court Waits on Centre’s Review as It Hears Petitions on Udaipur Files Stay

The Delhi High Court stayed the release of the film and directed the Union government to examine it under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act. The stay followed petitions, including one from Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani, who claimed the movie vilified Muslims.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) informed the High Court that the filmmakers had removed the objectionable content. Despite this, the Court ordered the producers to screen the film and its trailer for the legal representatives involved, including Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal (representing Madani) and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma (representing the CBFC).

After watching the screening, Sibal sharply criticized the film and told the Court, “This is not right for the country. This is not art. This is cinematic vandalism.”

The producers had originally scheduled the film for release on July 11. The Supreme Court has now scheduled the next hearing for July 21.

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