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Synopsis

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said that it will allow the movie 'Hamare Baarah' to be released subject to cuts and changes to a few objectionable scenes.

The division bench of the high court comprising Justice BP Collabawalla and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla stated that it will pass the orders based on the consent terms of both parties. 

During the hearing, the makers of the film provided a list of cuts and changes to be made before the release, which were accepted by the petitioners.

The petitioner submitted that they would not object to the release of the movie if the necessary changes were made.

The bench informed the counsel that it would pass the necessary order and that the movie could be released on June 21, 2024.

The high court was hearing multiple petitions seeking a ban on the movie on the grounds that it incorrectly portrays the lives of married Muslim women as lacking independent rights due to a misinterpretation of "Aayat 223," a verse in the Quran.

Earlier, the high court had allowed the release of the movie after the makers informed the bench that the objectionable scenes would be deleted as directed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

However, the petitioners then moved the Supreme Court, and the release was halted until the high court decided the matter.

During the yesterday's hearing, the bench said that the movie is about the upliftment of women and shows that people should not blindly follow Maulana but apply their minds.

"The movie is in fact for the upliftment of women. The movie has a Maulana misinterpreting the Quran and in fact one Muslim man objects to the same in the scene. So this shows that people should apply their mind and not blindly follow such Maulanas," the court said.

The high court also said that there were a few scenes which were objectionable, and if the parties consented to delete the same, the bench would pass an order allowing the release of the movie.

Case title: Azhar Basha Tamboli vs. Ravi S. Gupta & Ors