The makers of Bollywood film “Heroine”, starring Kareena Kapoor, Monday moved the Delhi High Court against the guidelines and broadcasting ministry’s order to display anti-smoking messages during smoking scenes within the movie.
The film is scheduled to be released Sep 21.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued notice to the ideas and broadcasting and health ministries and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and sought their responses by Sep 10.
The CBFC was also directed to view the movie and file a report in sealed cover on next date of hearing.
The film’s producer, UTV Software Communication, approached the court seeking issuance of a board certificate for the movie without the conditions associated with anti-smoking messages.
The producer also sought the setting aside of letter issued to them by the ideas and broadcasting ministry Aug 2, imposing an extra condition that films that experience smoking scenes should start with a 20-second warning on smoking hazards.
According to the ministry’s letter, producers need to shoot the 20-second message at the actor seen smoking within the film, repeat it in the midst of the movie and still have a static message at the screen through the entire length of a smoking scene.
The petition said the ministry requested the CBFC to advise the film makers to make sure “a 20-second anti-smoking message as approved by the health ministry with voice-over of the actor who's seen smoking within the film to be displayed initially and within the middle (after interval) of the film”.
Another condition imposed on film makers was that a static anti-smoking message must be “displayed throughout the smoking scene within the film”.
Having no objection with the 20-second message in the beginning and within the interval of the movie, UTV’s counsel Parag Tripathi and Atul Nanda opposed the proposed static anti-smoking message during a scene.
“It would kill the creativity of the scene,” the film producer said.
The production house had incurred over Rs.30 crore at the film by July-end, said the producer.
UTV said that the production house have been burdened with the “unreasonable and arbitrary requirement” to display a message during smoking scenes.
The requirement “infringes the constitutional freedom and rights absolute to the petitioner”, said UTV. – IANS
