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Amol Palekar’s decade-long battle for artistic freedom nears closure as Bombay HC sets final hearing on December 5, 2025

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After nearly a decade of pending legal proceedings, the Bombay High Court will finally hear actor-director Amol Palekar’s long-standing petition challenging the mandatory pre-censorship of stage plays and performances. The petition is slated for final hearing on December 5 before a bench comprising Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash. Palekar, now 80 years old, seeks protection of artistic freedom, arguing against the existing requirement under the Bombay Police Act that imposes prior scrutiny of scripts and mandatory certification from the Maharashtra State Performance Scrutiny Board before any play or public performance can be staged. His counsel, Anil Anturkar, told the court, “The petitioner is 85 years old now and wants an outcome, be it positive or negative.” Anturkar emphasized the importance of artistic freedom in the contemporary digital era, pointing out that “there is no censorship of shows and series on OTT platforms,” questioning the logic of continuing the mandatory censorship regime for live performances. The petition specifically contests rules framed under Section 33(1)(wa) of the Bombay Police Act, which authorize police commissioners or superintendents to regulate “places of public amusement” and performances, including traditional tamashas and melas, requiring script scrutiny to safeguard “public order, decency, or morality.”Amol Palekar’s petition argues that such pre-censorship amounts to an unconstitutional curtailment of artistic freedom, stating, “This pre-censorship leads to curtailment of artistic freedom. Because of this, many historic plays have not been performed in their original form.”The Bombay High Court had admitted the plea in 2017 but long delayed its hearing on the merits. The upcoming session on December 5 is expected to bring closure to this critical issue affecting artists and cultural institutions. This case is being closely watched across the theatre community and arts organizations, as a ruling in favor of Palekar could pave the way for greater freedom and creativity in live stage performances in Maharashtra and potentially across India. Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Shekhar Suman reveals that his film with Parineeti Chopra, Adil Hussain, Amol Palekar titled Reporting Live; Shekhar also states, “If Utsav is remade, Adhyayan should be cast for my role”.

Entertainment law media politics

Kangana Ranaut gets bail in defamation case linked to farmers’ protest tweet: “Never imagined this controversy”

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Actor and politician Kangana Ranaut was granted bail on Monday by a Bathinda court in Punjab in connection with a defamation case filed by farmer protestor Mahinder Kaur. The case dates back to 2021, when Kaur accused Ranaut of defaming her through a social media post during the farmers’ protest. Arriving at the court around 2 pm dressed in a saree and sunglasses, Ranaut told reporters that she regretted the “misunderstanding” caused by her post but maintained that she had not made any direct remarks against any individual.“Whatever misunderstanding happened with the family of Mahinder ji, I gave a message to her husband for mata ji about how she was the victim of a misunderstanding,” Ranaut said after the hearing. “Never in my dreams could I imagine this controversy. Every mata, be she from Punjab or Himachal, is respectable to me,” she added. When asked if she believed she had made an unintentional mistake, Ranaut said that the issue had been misinterpreted. “There was a retweet that was used as a meme. There were many women in that meme, and no comments were made against any individual,” she clarified, adding that she had already spoken to Mahinder Kaur’s husband regarding the matter. The actor further stated that she “regretted the misunderstanding” that followed the post but emphasized that her intentions were never to insult or misidentify anyone. Mahinder Kaur’s counsel, Raghubir Singh Beniwal, confirmed that the court granted bail to Ranaut on a bond furnished by her father. He added that Ranaut also moved a plea seeking permanent exemption from personal appearances, which he opposed. According to Beniwal, when the court asked Ranaut whether she wanted to say anything, the actor said she wished to apologise to the complainant, asserting that her post was not intended to target anyone. The court then sought the response of Mahinder Kaur’s husband, Labh Singh, who said he would consult with family members before deciding whether to accept the apology. The matter has now been listed for hearing on November 24. The complaint, filed in January 2021, alleged that Ranaut had wrongly identified Mahinder Kaur as Bilkis Bano, the elderly activist known for her participation in the 2020 Shaheen Bagh protests. Kaur claimed that the actor’s “false imputations and remarks” compared her to the “dadi” from Shaheen Bagh, despite her being part of the farmers’ protest since its inception. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had observed that Ranaut’s post “was not a simple retweet” and that the actor had “added spice” to the existing content. Following this remark, Ranaut withdrew her plea before the apex court. Also Read: Kangana Ranaut praises Rishab Shetty’s Kantara, says, “Films like these can help preserve tribal culture”.

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Kerala HC rules actor Mohanlal’s ivory licences void and unenforceable

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The Kerala High Court has ruled that the State-issued certificates declaring renowned Malayalam actor Mohanlal as the owner of two pairs of elephant ivory tusks and 13 ivory artifacts are void and legally unenforceable. The verdict marks a setback for the superstar in the ongoing controversy surrounding his possession of ivory items. The Division Bench comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian struck down the Kerala government orders issued in February 2015 and February 2016, along with the ownership certificates granted to Mohanlal in January and April 2016. The court held that the State had failed to comply with mandatory statutory requirements under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, before issuing these certificates. However, the court refrained from delving into the specifics of how the government’s power to issue these certificates was exercised, noting that such findings could prejudice Mohanlal in ongoing criminal proceedings related to the case. The judgment highlighted that the government was at liberty to issue fresh notifications under Section 40(4) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. This provision allows the State to request any person to declare possession of wild animal articles before granting ownership certificates or legal immunity against prosecution for illegal possession. The ruling came on two public interest litigation petitions challenging the State notifications under Section 40(4), which allowed Mohanlal to declare his possession of ivory artifacts before the Chief Wildlife Warden. Following these declarations, the State had issued ownership certificates under Section 42 of the Act. Petitioners argued that the notifications were unlawful as they were never published in the official gazette-a mandatory statutory requirement-and pointed out that no proper inquiry had been conducted into the legality of the actor’s possession of the ivory items. Mohanlal has consistently maintained that the ivory tusks were procured legally and that the certificates were issued directionally by the Central government through the Kerala government. Additionally, the State had issued a no-objection certificate for case withdrawal. Nonetheless, the magistrate court had earlier rejected the State’s plea to withdraw the case in June 2022, a decision contested before the Kerala High Court. The High Court partially allowed the State’s plea in February 2023, asking the magistrate to reconsider the withdrawal application. While the High Court’s recent judgment invalidates the ownership certificates, it grants the State the liberty to issue fresh notifications in accordance with the law. The final verdict in the criminal case against Mohanlal remains pending. Also Read: Mohanlal starrer Vrusshabha locks worldwide release date; set to hit theatres in November.

Entertainment law media

Thamma’s music director Sachin Sanghvi accused of sexual harassment, released on bail: Report

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Maddock Films’ latest release Thamma has been making waves at the box office, but the film has recently found itself in the headlines for reasons far removed from its success. Sachin Sanghvi, the music director of the film and one half of the composer duo Sachin-Jigar, has been accused of sexual harassment by a 29-year-old woman.According to a report by India Today, the complainant alleged that Sanghvi sexually assaulted her after promising her a role in a music video and even marriage. Following the filing of an FIR, Sachin was taken into custody but was subsequently released on bail.In a statement to the media, Sanghvi’s lawyer, Aditya Mithe, called the allegations “absolutely baseless and unsubstantiated” and added that his client’s detention was “illegal.” He further stated, “There are absolutely no merits to the case. We intend to defend all allegations fully and unequivocally.”Sachin himself has not yet commented publicly on the matter, and his Instagram account, @soulfulsachin, has been deactivated. However, the official account of the duo, Sachin-Jigar, remains active.This is not the first time a Maddock Films project has been caught in a similar controversy. Last year, during the successful run of Stree 2, choreographer Jani Master (real name Shaik Jani Basha), who worked on the song Aaj Ki Raat, was accused of sexual assault by a former assistant choreographer. The victim, who was 21 at the time of filing, alleged that she had faced harassment and assault from Jani Master over six years, beginning when she was a minor.Following her complaint, Jani Master was arrested by Cyberabad police in Goa on September 19, 2024, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He later confessed to the assault and was granted regular bail by the Telangana High Court on October 24, 2024, with conditions to cooperate with the investigation and not contact the victim.Also Read: Rashmika Mandanna secretly watches Thamma in a theatre; shares emotional note about audience reactions

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