'Putting People In Fear Cannot Be Allowed': SC On Kamal Hassan's Thug Life Not Being Released In Karnataka

The Supreme Court questioned the Karnataka government's role in allowing law and order concerns to obstruct a certified 'Thug Life' film’s release.

The court stressed that once a film is cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it cannot be stopped from screening.

Source : IMDb

The Supreme Court on Monday took strong exception to the non-release of actor Kamal Haasan’s upcoming film 'Thug Life' in Karnataka, transferring the pending petition from the High Court to the Apex Court and setting June 19 (Thursday) as the date for the next hearing. The apex court questioned the Karnataka government's role in allowing law and order concerns to obstruct a certified film’s release, stressing that once a film is cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it cannot be stopped from screening.

Supreme Court On 'Thug Life Row 

A bench comprising Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan emphasised that the rule of law must prevail and that no one can be threatened or coerced to prevent them from watching a film. The Supreme Court granted the Karnataka government one day to clarify its position on the release of the movie in the state, stating that once a film receives certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it must be permitted to screen across all states.

Addressing the controversy surrounding actor Kamal Haasan’s remarks, the bench said that if Haasan made comments some found uncomfortable, they should not be treated as absolute truth, as per a report on PTI. It added that the people of Karnataka, being enlightened citizens, should engage in debate and express disagreement rather than resort to censorship.

The court also criticised recent observations by the Karnataka High Court, which suggested Haasan should apologize for his comments about the Kannada language. The bench asserted that it is not within the High Court’s purview to demand such an apology.

The Supreme Court transferred the case regarding the movie, which was pending before the High Court, to itself and scheduled the next hearing for Thursday.