HC asks Censor Board to decide the fate of RGV's movie

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has made it clear that it is up to the review committee of the Censor Board to take a call about issuing a clearance certificate to the controversial film Amma Rajyam lo Kadapa Biddalu. It is the domain of the Censor Board to ascertain if the filmmaker has incorporated the recommended changes in the movie and the court has no role in it, said the HC on Wednesday.

A division bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy disposed of the petitions concerning the movie. While filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma had sought a direction to issue the certificate to his film, a PIL by a certain Indrasena Chowdhary wanted a stay on its release on the grounds that it would divide the society along caste lines and cause disharmony.

Acting on the instructions of the HC, the Censor Board submitted the file relating to RGV's film. Assistant Solicitor General N Rajeshwar Rao, who represented the Board, told the court that they have received the revised version of the movie. He said the Board is in the process of taking a decision and that it would abide by the court's orders.

RGV's counsel said all suggestions/changes proposed by the Censor Board have been carried out. The edited version has been submitted to the Cinema Unit. At this stage, the bench said that it was up to the Board to take a decision on the fate of the movie. The court, however, said that people are free to approach the HC if they have any grievances even after the clearance certificate is issued to the movie.