The Bombay High Court has ordered the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant certification for the upcoming film Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi and clear it for theatrical release without any cuts or modifications.
The directive came on Monday after the bench watched the film over the weekend and concluded there was “nothing objectionable” that warranted censorship. The court observed: “We have seen the movie in its context, and we don’t see that anything needs to be re-edited… We don’t find anything objectionable.”
Senior Advocate Ram Apte, appearing for the CBFC, argued the film contained obscenity and could be defamatory towards Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. However, when asked by the bench, Apte admitted he had not seen the film.
The court suggested the addition of an expanded disclaimer clarifying that the work is fictional. The petitioners, Samrat Cinematics India Pvt. Ltd., represented by advocates Ravi Kadam, Satatya Anand and Nikhil Aradhe, provided a modified disclaimer, which was accepted.
The filmmakers told the court that despite a previous direction, the CBFC initially demanded 29 cuts, later reduced to 21 by its revision committee. The producers refused, prompting the legal challenge.
The bench noted the film is based on the book The Monk Who Became Chief Minister and reminded CBFC that a film cannot be denied certification simply because it draws from an individual’s life or real events.
With all objections struck down, the court directed CBFC to issue certification and allow the film’s theatrical release.
