Mersal anti-GST dialogue is just opinion, can't gag it: HC

Suresh Kumar| TNN | Oct 28, 2017, 05:34 IST



CHENNAI: Anti-GST dialogues in actor Vijay's blockbuster `Mersal' were a mere expression of opinion in a film and courts cannot interfere and order their deletion, the Madras high court said on Friday .Refusing to entertain a PIL filed by an advocate to revoke censor certificate for the film, a division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice M Sundar said that if the petitioner had genuine concerns about public interest he should have started campaigns against social evils like untouchability , women safety, alcoholism and smoking. But he had chosen to attack a particular movie, the judges remarked.

Rebutting the contention of the PIL-petitioner that movies should not contain dialogues criticising schemes of government, particularly with incorrect facts, the bench said: "Even today media reported that the leader of the opposition (MK Stalin) has criticised demonetisation. Can we gag him?" "Even today media reported that the TN opposition leader (MK Stalin) has criticised demonetisation. Can the court pass a gag order against him from making such statements? People have right to freedom of expression, and this applies to films too." The PIL, in fact, helped the producer of the movie to gain more publicity , and that there was no compulsion on anyone to watch it.

Helped by the state BJP leaders' protests to anti-GST and anti-digital money dialogues and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's tweet supporting the film and rapping the BJP regime for undermining Tamil sentiments, 'Mersal' has set itself well on its way to cross the `200 crore-mark in box office collections within a week. At the peak of the the clamour, advocate A Ashvathaman approached the court saying the censor certificate should be revoked as the dialogues adversely affected the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.According to the petitioner, the film contains scenes and dialogues against the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India. "False information about GST and digital India scheme would encourage people to evade tax," he said.

Claiming that he had made representation to the Union information and broadcasting ministry pointing out that the censor certificate was issued by CBFCin gross violation of Cinematograph Act, 1952, he said he had approached the court since the ministry failed to initiate any action.