Bombay HC to view film 'Ajey' after producer challenges denial of certification

The Bombay High Court two Judge bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale on Thursday said it would view the film "Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi" before deciding on the August 17 denial of its certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The CBFC flagged certain scenes to back its decision to deny certification for its screening. The High Court asked the producer for a copy of the film with the allegedly objectional scenes highlighted. The film, starring Anant Joshi as Yogi Adityanath, is based on Shantanu Gupta’s book "The Monk Who Became Chief Minister."The producer moved the High Court to challenge the CBFC decision as being mechanical, “arbitrary and unreasonable.” The Board said the film was a biopic, while the filmmaker maintained it was a work of fiction. Through its senior counsel, Ravi Kadam, the filmmaker argued that the refusal violates the fundamental right to freedom of speech and trade.

CBFC counsel Abhay Khandeparkar said the decision was taken after following due process. The High Court posted the matter on August 25 for further hearing and orders.