In the past week, two films have faced stays in India from different courts, raising significant concerns about sanctity of the CBFC certificate, the state of free speech and its implications for democracy. These stay orders highlight a troubling trend where judicial interventions are increasingly curbing creative expression.
Maharaj: Gujarat...
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on June 18, 2021, sought comments from the public (“Notification”) (can be accessed here) on the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (“Bill”) which seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (“Act”). The Bill inter alia aims to introduce age-based sub-categories of U/A certification, prohibit...
It has been a busy month in the world of media and entertainment, not just because of the back-to-back releases of blockbuster movies such as ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ but owing to a keen interest by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry in shaping and modifying film and media-related legislation. The...
Begum Jaan, an Assamese TV series based loosely on the theme of 1948 Assamese movie Siraj ran in legal troubles for allegedly promoting ‘Love Jihad’. Siraj was a critically acclaimed movie which was made on the theme of national integration with a message of communal harmony but in 2020,...
Introduction
In India, art and restrictions often cross paths resulting in a constant struggle between freedom of expression and reasonable restrictions. As we enter into the 73rd year of adoption of the Constitution, acts of artistic expressions as subject of censorship are on a rise, reinstating the famous debate of...
Background
The Kerala Story has faced continuous litigation and protests all over India ever since its theatrical release on 5 May 2023. The states of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu even went on to cast shadow bans or a complete ban of the screening of the film in theatres state...
Introduction
On 25 February 2021, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (the Rules) were notified in the official gazette. While the basic structure of the Rules aligns with that discussed in a previous article on our blog previewing the Rules (available here), a detailed...
On 10th November 2023, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (“MIB”) published, and invited stakeholder comments on, the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 (“the Broadcasting Bill”). As per the Explanatory Note to the Broadcasting Bill, the Government has “recognized the need to streamline the regulatory framework and provide a...
Introduction:
It seems that the world of films and its expression and the sensitivity regarding religious issues do not go hand in hand. In the recent past with films like Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, PK etc, the Courts of law have upheld the creative freedom of expression that...
I am pleased to bring to you our next guest post by Ritisha Mukherjee. Ritisha is a young lawyer having recently graduated from Nirma University with specialization in Intellectual Property Rights. She takes keen interest in media and entertainment laws and is currently working at Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
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