HC directs Censor Board to review Aarakshan on August 8

The Bombay high court on Tuesday asked director Prakash Jha and the producers of the upcoming controversial film Aarakshan to inform by Wednesday if they are willing to show their film to politicians and legislators who belong to Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes.

Recently, two Raigad advocates had moved the high court seeking cancellation of the censor board certificate to this Amitabh Bachchan starrer film accusing that Aarakshan has a “strong anti-reservation message." The representatives of the film, advocates Amit Naik and Venkatesh Dhond denied the Raigad advocates claim. The censor board stated that SC/ST members had seen the film before it was cleared by the board.

The producers were willing to show the film only to Justice D D Sinha and Justice A R Joshi of the Bombay high court and denied the screening for any other person before its release on August 12. Following objections raised by MP Samir Bhujbal, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has summoned censor board members on August 8 in Delhi to review Aarakshan and check if it violates the SC/ST Act.