Bombay High Court refuses to stay release of Santa Banta Private Limited

The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to stay the release of film Santa Banta Private Limited, after it was alleged by a group that the dialogues and the script of the film was indecent and showed the Sikh community in poor light.

A division bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and Dr Shalini Phansalkar Joshi directed the Central Board of Film Certification and other respondent to file their reply and posted the matter for further hearing next week.

Punjab Cultural Heritage Board had approached the court seeking to stay the release of the film. It was argued on behalf of them that the film lacks decency and is obscene not sexually but in the way the jokes are made out against a certain community members. Further, it was claimed that the release of the film would disturb public order and could lead to a law and order situation.

CBFC though argued that certification of the film was given last year and a similar petition was earlier filed in the Delhi High Court which came to be disposed off without any reliefs. The film scheduled to release on April 22 stars, actor Boman Irani and Veer Das-starrer.