Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday slammed the makers of the film 'Adipurush' and asked how the Central Board of Film Certification cleared the film for public viewing. The court observed that such films were putting to test the tolerance of Hindus and added that thankfully the community did not create any law and order situation. The court's observations, however, were not part of the order.

The court also directed for notice to be issued to Manoj Muntashir, the dialogue writer of the film, and make him a party in the case. The court's observations came while hearing two PILs filed by Kuldeep Tiwari and Naveen Dhawan seeking restriction on screening of the film.

The vacation bench of Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Shree Prakash Singh asked deputy solicitor general SB Pandey to seek instructions as to whether the central government was contemplating to review the certificate granted by the Censor Board.

The bench has posted the matter for the next hearing on Wednesday

The bench declined to accept the plea that the disclaimer of the movie said that the movie was not based on the Ramayana. "When the filmmaker has shown Lord Rama, Devi Sita, Laxman, Lord Hanuman, Ravana, Lanka etc., how the disclaimer of the film would convince the people at large that the story is not from Ramayana," the bench reacted strongly.

The bench was irked when it was apprised by the petitioner’s lawyer, Ranjana Agnihotri, that the movie may not only affect adversely the sentiments of the people at large, who worship Lord Rama, Sita, Hanuman etc., but the manner in which the characters of Ramayana have been depicted would create serious disharmony in the society also. It was further stated that the petitioner failed to understand from where the content of the film had been borrowed as nothing in that manner has been narrated in Valmiki’s Ramayana or Tulsi Das’ Ramcharitmanas.

The CBFC is an official body entrusted with the job of looking into issues such as public morality and collective sensitivity before issuing a certificate permitting any film’s exhibition. Any issue with the film being allowed to screen should be addressed to CBFC, not the film’s makers.