The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay the release of Madhur Bhandarkar’s upcoming film Indu Sarkar, ANI reported. A woman claiming to be the biological daughter of late Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi had approached the apex court, seeking a stay on the July 28 release of the Hindi film.
“The exhibition of a movie is an artistic expression within the parameters of law and there is no justification to curtail the release of the movie,” the court said, according to NDTV. “A film’s script has to have a little dram and exaggeration.”
Bhandarkar said he was relieved by the court’s ruling. “Welcome that the court held that artistic freedom cannot be curbed,” he said. Bhandarkar said he did not understand the opposition against his movie since a number of documentaries had already been made on the Emergency.
Petitioner Priya Paul’s counsel had said that Indu Sarkar had “derogatory facts” to malign the image of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Paul said she will not give up her fight against the movie. “The game is not over yet. I can come to court seeking defamation against Bhandarkar,” she said.
Paul had earlier filed a plea at the Bombay High Court, but the bench had dismissed it on July 24, saying none of Gandhi’s direct descendants had opposed Indu Sarkar’s release. The high court had also questioned Paul’s claim of being Gandhi’s biological daughter.
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