Bombay High Court Rebukes CBFC For Withholding Certification Of 'Ajey' Without Clear Reasoning

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Aug 7 (IANS) In a significant development, the Bombay High Court has directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) not to insist on obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the certification of the film“Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi.”

The directive came after the filmmakers alleged that the CBFC had rejected their application without providing clear reasons or specific objections, in violation of the 2024 Certification Rules. Representing Samrat Cinematics, Advocates Naphade, Satatya Anand, and Nikhil Aradhe argued before the court that under the 2024 Certification Rules, the CBFC is obligated to clearly identify any objectionable scenes or dialogues to enable filmmakers to respond appropriately.

The bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Dr. Neela Gokhale observed that the CBFC's approach appeared obstructive, noting that the board was unnecessarily complicating the certification process and creating avoidable hurdles.“These are not reasons. This isn't as per the rules. Why don't you give them the grounds for rejection? By August 11, you tell them what the objectionable scenes and dialogues are.”

The court instructed the committee to review the film thoroughly and issue specific recommendations rather than vague or general rejections. As per the timeline set by the court: The CBFC must clearly identify any objectionable scenes or suggest edits by August 11, 2025.

The filmmakers are expected to respond with their stance on the proposed modifications by August 12, 2025. The matter will be taken up for further hearing on August 14, 2025.

Notably, the CBFC has previously granted certification to several films based on prominent political figures, including Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers. These include PM Narendra Modi (2019), Mai Hoon Atal (2024), Dharamveer (2022), Thalaivi (2021), Thackeray (2019), Yatra (2019), and most recently, The UP Files-a film centered on Yogi Adityanath-which was approved by the CBFC in 2024.

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