Delhi High Court dismisses plea seeking ban on movie 'Ram-Leela'

Delhi High Court dismisses plea seeking ban on movie 'Ram-Leela'

NEW DELHI: Even as the Delhi High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a ban on the release of the movie Ram-Leela on the ground that it would hurt the religious sentiments of people, a review petition is coming up on this issue in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court later this week.

A division bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Manmohan of Delhi High Court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on NGO Rashtravadi Shiv Sena which filed the plea wanting a change of title of the movie starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone should be changed as it hurts the religious sentiments of people.

(The Allahabad High Court had earlier rejected a similar petition by social activist Nutan Thakur on the ground that the film had not been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification. However, Thakur has filed a review on the plea that the trailer has been passed by the CBFC.)

Ram-Leela, which is scheduled to be released on 15 November, has been directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The plea in Delhi filed by the NGO's president Jai Bhagwan Goyal said: "The title Ram-Leela which is understood by Hindus as enactment of the life and story of Lord Ram (Maryada Purshottam), is nowhere doing the same but on the contrary the film is portraying sex, violence and vulgarity, which is deeply hurting the religious sentiments and feelings of Hindus."

"The enactment, production and scheduled release of the film Ram-Leela is a gross insult to the religious feelings of Hindus," the plea said, adding the objection is only in respect of naming such a film Ram-Leela.