CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking to ban the Suriya-starrer ‘Karuppu’, which was recently released, for alleged depiction of the judiciary in bad light.
Dismissing the petition, a vacation bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan stated that they did not want to interfere with the film’s screening as its producers have the right to expression.
Referring to repeated submissions of the petitioner’s counsel that the film portrayed even judicial officers in poor light, the bench commented, “It may be the impression of the director and the producer; what can we do?” Further, it said that there are lawyers who indulge in unethical practices as well as some corrupt judicial officers. The film has exaggerated this, it added.
The petition by advocate RS Tamilvendan stated that the film shows one judge involved in bribery and drug consumption. If the film continues to be screened in the theatres and on OTT platforms, it may lead to the public losing trust in the judiciary, the petitioner added.
Stating that ‘Karuppu’ “badly” criticises the judicial system, it urged the court to issue orders to the Tamil Nadu home and information and public relations departments, as well as the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) to ban or regulate the film.