The Supreme Court has stayed the release of Annu Kapoor’s movie ‘Hamare Baarah’ after taking note of allegations that the film is derogatory to the Islamic faith and married Muslim women. The film was scheduled to be released on June 14.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took note of the submissions of lawyer Fauzia Shakil, who represented the petitioner Azhar Basha Tamboli, and asked the Bombay High Court to take an expeditious decision on the plea. The bench stayed the screening of the film till disposal of the petition by the Bombay High Court.
"We have seen the movie trailer in the morning and all the offensive dialogues continue in the trailer," the bench observed while staying the release of the film. All objections, including the direction to the Central Board of Flim Certification (CBFC) to select the committee, have been left open for the parties to raise before the high court, the top court said.
The Bombay High Court had cleared the film's release after its producers approached the court against its previous order that stayed its release till June 14.
Previously, the CBFC granted ‘Hamare Baarah’ a U/A certification. They also asked the makers to make 11 changes starting with the title of the film. It was earlier christened ‘Hum Do Hamare Baarah’.
The movie faced serious concerns from its producers due to the imposed stay, given their substantial investments in production and distribution. This legal hurdle arose following a petition filed by activists from a specific religious community, contesting the film's release. Annu Kapoor had also spoken out and revealed receiving death threats.
Earlier, the Karnataka government prohibited the release or broadcast of Annu Kapoor starrer in the state for two weeks or until further notice. This is under the Karnataka Cinema Regulations Act 1964, sections 15(1) and 15(5). The government cited concerns that the movie's release could spark communal tension. This decision follows requests from various minority organizations and delegations and a review of the film's trailer.
'Hamare Baarah', a film that delves into the theme of overpopulation, has attracted notice for its daring storytelling. Featuring Annu Kapoor, Manoj Joshi, and Paritosh Tripathi, 'Hamare Baarah' was originally scheduled for release on June 7, 2024, nationwide which got postponed till June 14.
Co-produced by Birender Bhagat, Ravi S Gupta, Sanjay Nagpal, and Sheo Balak Singh, 'Hamare Baarah' is helmed by director Kamal Chandra.
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