Calcutta HC allows release of film Diary of West Bengal a year after police case
The petitioners argued that the contents of the movie are communal in nature and its release could have an adverse effect on society
Kolkata: The Calcutta high court on Thursday allowed the release of the movie ‘The Diary of West Bengal’, setting aside a petition that claimed that the contents in the film were communal, lawyers present at the hearing said.
The division bench of chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya declined to order a stay on the Friday (August 30) release of the movie directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker Sanoj Mishra on the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
“Courts have repeatedly held that if you want to watch the movie, watch it. If you don’t, then don’t. We are in a democratic setup. Any healthy criticism is welcome. Those who are aggrieved, let them approach us. West Bengal is a tolerant society,” the chief justice observed during the hearing.
The petitioners argued that the contents of the movie are communal in nature and its release could have an adverse effect on society. However, allowing the release, the court said the matter will be heard again after three weeks.
In May 2023, when the movie’s trailer was released on YouTube, the Kolkata police served a legal notice to the director for the alleged communal content. He was asked to appear at the city’s Amherst Street police station, based on a complaint filed by a citizen. The notice was routed through Mumbai’s Oshiwara police station. Mishra’s lawyers moved court.
The development came weeks after the Trinamool Congress government banned the screening of The Kerala Story directed by Sudipto Sen, saying its release could trigger communal unrest in some parts of the state.
The ban order was set aside by the Supreme Court on May 18, 2023, but only one theater in Bongaon town in the North 24 Parganas district screened The Kerala Story.