The Apex Court Refuses To Entertain New Plea Against CBFC Certification To ‘Hamare Baarah’

The Supreme Court declined to hear a petition seeking the revocation of the CBFC certification for the film ‘Hamare Baarah,’ starring Annu Kapoor and directed by Kamal Chandra, today.

A vacation bench which was led by Justice Vikram Nath, stated that they were not inclined to consider the plea. The plea challenged the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate, directly at the apex court. The bench, also comprising Justice S.V.N. Bhatti, advised the petitioner’s counsel to appeal against the Bombay High Court’s order instead. The Bombay High Court had reviewed the film, directed the removal of some scenes, shots, and dialogues, and allowed its release.

Also Read: Bhuvan Bam Commits To Change Perception Towards Creators In Film Industry

The petitioner’s counsel, recognizing the Supreme Court’s unwillingness, sought permission to withdraw the writ petition. The court dismissed the petition as withdrawn and granted the petitioner the liberty to file a special leave petition against the Bombay High Court’s decision, which permitted the film’s release on June 21 after modifications.

The writ petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, argued that the film depicted Muslim women as having no independent rights and blamed the Muslim community for India’s population growth. The petitioners alleged that the film targeted the Muslim community. They accused the film of distorting Islamic teachings, specifically misrepresenting verse 223 of Surah Baqarah, Chapter 2 of the Quran, to imply that Muslim men can exploit Muslim women.

Directed by Kamal Chandra, ‘Hamare Baarah’ features Ashwini Kalsekar, Rahul Bagga, Manoj Joshi, Aditi Bhatpahri, Paritosh Tiwari, Parth Samthaan, and Shaan Saxena. Following the release of its trailer, some Muslim intellectuals objected to the film, claiming it misinterpreted Islam and aimed to malign the religion and its followers.