Delhi HC Rejects Filmmaker’s Plea, Upholds CBFC’s Denial of Certification

 

The Delhi High Court has upheld the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) decision to deny certification to filmmaker Shyam Bharteey’s Hindi movie Masoom Kaatil, ruling that films ridiculing religion, promoting hatred, or disturbing communal peace cannot be allowed in a diverse and secular society.

 

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora noted that the film depicts extreme violence involving both humans and animals, contains derogatory references to communities and religions, and features caste-based and communal remarks -- all in violation of the 1991 film certification guidelines.

 

“The unchecked gore, coupled with dangerous ideas such as taking the law into one’s own hands, could brutalise minds, normalise lawlessness, and erode faith in the justice system,” the court observed.

 

The judgment further raised alarm over the portrayal of minors as protagonists engaging in lawless and violent acts without any moral counterbalance, warning that such depictions risk corrupting young audiences and glamorising juvenile crime.

 

Bharteey had sought an ‘A’ (adults-only) certification with suggested cuts, but the court agreed with the CBFC that the film’s excessive and gruesome violence lacked any redeeming social value, making it unfit for public exhibition.

 

 

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