October 27, 2017
In a big relief to the makers of movie Mersal, the Madras High Court on Friday has dismissed a petition seeking revocation of its censor certificate citing that the film was fictional and not depiction of reality.
A two-member bench of the Madras High Court dismissing a petition filed by a lawyer A Asvasthaman on the grounds that it contained false propaganda on GST said that freedom of expression was the same for everyone It cannot be supressed.
It is for the viewers to take a decision whether to watch a film or not. It is the work of fiction and not reality, Mr Justice MM Sundresh and Mr Justice M Sundar said.
In a mature democracy voices of dissent cannot be suppressed.
The judges questioned the petition as to how the film dialogues would affect the lives of the common man? Instead, the petitioner should work on the ills plaguing the society like smoking and alcoholism.
It is a work of fiction and not depiction of reality the judges noted and questioned the The petitioner contended that the film contained wrong information on GST and make light of the Digital India initiative of the central government and hence the film’s certificate be withdrawn by the CBFC.
TN BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundarrajan kicked up a storm over few dialogues in the film on GST in Mersal and demanded that they be deleted. This demand kicked up a huge political storm with the Congress jumping in and had all the Tamil Nadu opposition parties rising up as one against what they described “attack on artistic freedom of expression.”