HC to hear #MeToo producer's plea against censor board on Friday

The Delhi High Court will hear on Friday the plea of the producer of the Bollywood movie "#MeToo" challenging the censor board order asking him to change the movie name.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru will hear the plea.

The plea was filed by producer Sajid Iqbal Qureshi who has sought the setting aside of the November 12, 2018 order of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The CBFC, in its order, had directed modification of the title of the movie "#Me Too" and also ordered that the public exhibition of the film be restricted to adults.

Qureshi's advocate Shilpi Jain said that "the portrayal of the female character, who is a victim of kidnapping, with the objective of committing a sexual crime is highly sensitive issue and any tampering with the scenes, meddling with the script can cripple the narrative".

"Leaving the craft of the film sloppy and ineffective, the filmmaker has attempted to throw light on the socio-cultural milieu, revoke perverse mindsets and address the collective consciousness, the gender ethos, confining patriarchal structures, which need to be brought down," read the plea.

The advocate said that the filmmaker's intent was to convey what goes on in the minds of men, who abduct a woman with the aim of raping her.

"None of the directions contained in the order, whether with regard to change of the title of the movie or by way of insertion of disclaimer or deletions/excisions/modifications fall within the ambit of the Cinematograph Act of 1952 or the Guidelines and violate the Constitution of India and are hence illegal and deserve to be quashed/set aside," the plea said.

--IANS

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