The Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, led by Maulana Arshad Madani, has succeeded in getting 61 controversial scenes removed from the upcoming film Udaipur Files. The cuts came after a prolonged legal battle at three different levels—the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Delhi High Court, and the Supreme Court.
One of the most objectionable parts removed from the film was a statement made by BJP leader Nupur Sharma about Prophet Muhammad.
According to the Jamiat, the film originally included Sharma’s derogatory comments from 2022 and even tried to justify them. The Jamiat strongly opposed this and said such content could hurt religious sentiments and promote communal hatred.
Maulana Arshad Madani had filed a petition against the film, which led the Delhi High Court to examine an uncertified trailer that had been released illegally. The trailer included remarks about Deoband and directly quoted Nupur Sharma’s offensive comments.
On July 10, the court directed action against the film’s producer for releasing the trailer without proper certification. The Jamiat expressed hope that the government would take the necessary steps in this regard.
Originally, the CBFC had allowed the film with 55 cuts. But after further objections from Maulana Madani, especially regarding the justification of Sharma’s statement, the central government ordered additional changes on July 21, including five more cuts and a revised disclaimer.
On August 6, a new order confirmed that the producer had voluntarily deleted the scenes involving Nupur Sharma and her comments.The Jamiat called this a big achievement that promotes respect for all religions.
Maulana Madani said that while some of the most harmful scenes have been removed, the way Muslims are portrayed in the film is still troubling. He accused the filmmakers of trying to spread communal hatred in the name of creative freedom.
“It was expected that the government would cancel the film’s certification altogether,” said Maulana Madani.
“Still, this outcome sends a strong message: any insult to the Prophet or any religious figure cannot be hidden behind freedom of expression.”
He also warned filmmakers against creating such content to please communal forces, saying this legal success should act as a warning.
“It’s a reminder that hurting religious sentiments, whether of an individual or an entire community, will not be tolerated,” he said.
