Supreme Court to Hear Landmark Pre-Censorship Plea on Films

The Supreme Court will hear a plea in January concerning the pre-censorship of films. Filed by actor-director Amol Palekar, the petition challenges several provisions of the Cinematograph Act. The court has asked why such petitions come directly to them, suggesting a high court's input would be beneficial.

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has announced that it will hear a plea in January addressing the issue of pre-censorship in films. This plea, filed by veteran actor-director Amol Palekar, calls into question the relevance of certain provisions in the Cinematograph Act.

The apex court, which had sought responses from the Centre and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) back in April 2017, questioned the rationale behind directly filing such petitions at the highest court. Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan noted this during a recent hearing.

The bench queried why the matter wasn't first brought before a high court, with Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati emphasizing the advantages of such a determination. The case entails a broader discussion, especially in light of the government's recent amendments and evolving digital platforms.

(With inputs from agencies.)