CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday refused to grant a stay order on the release of the Odia film ‘Sanatani: Karma Hi Dharma’ which is scheduled for February 7.
The film produced by Bijay Kandoi and directed by Basudev Barada purportedly deals with religious conversions in the state. It has been embroiled in controversy since the Christian community of Kandhamal reportedly wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi a week ago requesting him to stop the release of the film alleging it shows their community in a bad light.
The controversy reached the high court with filing of two separate petitions seeking the court’s interim intervention to stop the release of the film. Both the petitions alleged that release of the film ‘will cause serious issues regarding maintenance of public order’. The petitions were filed by Amodh Kumar Bardhan, Idma Kurami and three others.
Bardhan’s petition contended that the movie carries derogatory dialogues and scenes against Christianity. Meanwhile, Kurami alleged that the certification was illegally granted and sought for its reconsideration by the Censor Board.
However, refusing to intervene at this stage, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Arindam Singha and Justice MS Sahoo said, “Considering the petitioners themselves say they had knowledge about the trailers in November, 2024 coupled with depictions from a website deceptively similar to another with no demonstration of checks in place for authenticity of contents, it is a situation unsafe for us to rely on and interfere, when the film is to be released on Friday.”
Accordingly, seeking response from the Union of India and state government, the bench said “We keep the writ petitions pending, to be listed on February 19, 2025, for them to inform us on reconsideration or that it is not necessary.”
Additional government advocate B Dash representing the state government submitted that regional certification was obtained by the producer of the film. He said the certifications were duly granted and the contents of the writ petitions do not reveal any substance for interference by this court.
Representing Union of India, deputy solicitor general Prasanna Kumar Parhi submitted that the film’s plot summary disclosed as part of the certificate issued by the Central Board of Film certification stated that it dealt with sacrifice, superstition and lack of education.