New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a stay on the release of Sunny Deol-starrer upcoming Hindi film Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak, scheduled to release in theatres November 20.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma said the court was not inclined to entertain the public interest litigation (PIL) as the issue has already been raised by the doctor fraternity in another writ petition which is pending before a single judge.
On November 2, the single judge issued notice to the authorities and asked them to respond to the petition alleging that the movie portrays doctors in private hospitals as corrupt and that it encourages violence against healthcare professionals.
It is listed for hearing November 16.
The division bench said even if these petitioners are also doctors, “we see no reason for multiplicity of proceedings”.
The court said the petitioners may join the proceedings before the single judge and also granted them liberty to pursue their representation before the authorities.
The PIL was filed by Dr Nachiketa Bhatia and Dr Dhruv Chauhan seeking to stay the release of the movie on the ground that its official trailer depicts physical violence against medical practitioners as heroic and unfairly generalises corruption in the healthcare profession.
The petitioners said the movie threatens public law and order and sought a direction to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to examine and modify or delete allegedly objectionable scenes or dialogues from the film.
On being asked by the bench as to why it should entertain the plea when a similar petition is already pending before another bench of the High Court, the petitioners’ counsel said the issue is sensitive and the scope in a PIL is more as compared to a writ petition.
The counsel for CBFC said till now, no certification has been issued to the film and the same is pending consideration. He also said that the Hindi film is not the original one and it is a remake of a South Indian movie which is already in the public domain.
Trying to make out his case, the petitioners’ lawyer said the language used in the teaser gives an impression that relatives of the patients can now resort to violence against doctors and medical personnel.
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