The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told the Bombay High Court that filmmaker Raj Pritam More will be given a proper hearing before any decision is taken on extending the suspension of the censor certificate for his Marathi film Khalid ka Shivaji. The Ministry said this would be done in the next few days.
The film, which has been selected for several festivals, faced strong opposition from right-wing groups. They alleged that the film misrepresents Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a ruler deeply revered in Maharashtra.
The story follows a young Muslim boy who learns about Shivaji Maharaj. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared the movie on November 12, 2024, after the filmmakers accepted the suggested changes. But once the trailer was released, protests began. Groups objected to the film’s portrayal of Shivaji as a “secular” king and its references to Muslims in his army, calling these depictions historically wrong.
On August 7, the Ministry issued a notice to More, asking him to appear for a hearing within an hour. By that evening, his film’s certificate was suspended for a month on grounds of public interest and possible law-and-order problems. The order was later published in the official gazette on August 20.
More argued before a bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Dr Neela Gokhale that the suspension was “arbitrary, illegal, politically motivated” and carried out without giving him a fair chance to present his case. He told the court that stopping the release just a day before its scheduled date violated his constitutional right to free speech.
The bench ruled that the suspension cannot be extended without first hearing the filmmaker. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the Ministry, assured the court that More would be informed at least a week in advance before any further action.
The court has directed the Ministry to decide on any representation made by the filmmaker before the suspension period ends in the first week of September. More’s petition will next be heard on September 22.
