KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought the view of the Centre and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on a petition challenging the order suspending the certification of the film ‘S Durga’. According to the petition filed by Shaji Mathew and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, the producer and director of the film respectively, the CBFC order had also prohibited the screening of the film on flimsy ground the white rectangular boxes in the title card of the film had a different implication. The film was originally titled ‘Sexy Durga’ and was later changed to ‘S Durga’.
The CBFC had issued the order after it had received a complaint from the IFFI jury in Goa stating the name of the film on the title card is shown by the filmmaker as ‘S### Durga’ which had different implications and is effectively undermining and attempting to defeat the very basis of the title registration.
The petitioner submitted the order had been issued without notice to the petitioners and without hearing them. Thus, the statutory mandate had been violated. The CBFC had no power to suspend the certification already granted to a film for re-examination.The plea stated the certification was cancelled with the intention of stalling the screening of the film at IFFI Goa. The High Court had ordered to screen the certified copy of the film.