"Every truth hurts someone": Sr. Adv Gaurav Bhatia Defends Udaipur Files, Slams hypersensitivity syndrome in SC
Appearing for the producer of the film Udaipur Files, Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia in a sharp defence of the movie before the Supreme Court on Friday, urged the Bench to reject petitions seeking a stay on its release.
“Every time truth is shown, someone acts like a censor,” Bhatia submitted, calling the attempt to block the release a case of “hypersensitivity syndrome.”
Bhatia appeared before the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, which was hearing a batch of petitions related to the film based on the 2022 Udaipur murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal.
Emphasising that the film had already undergone over 55 edits as suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), he argued, “Can there be a perfect movie which offends no one?”
The Senior Counsel questioned the premise of the challenge, contending, “Vilification needs definition. Muslims in this country have been people of great virtue, but like any community, vices have emerged in recent years too. Hypersensitivity can’t dictate censorship.”
Another Counsel supporting the film’s release echoed Bhatia’s stance, contending that the claim of community vilification was unfounded. “No violence occurred against Muslims after The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, or even after 26/11. This vilification theory is a figment of imagination,” he said, adding that the challenge exaggerated the impact of the film, “They want us to believe this is more profound than Pahalgam or Pulwama.”
"This hypersensitivity syndrome must be checked by the highest court. A clear message must go out, censorship of this kind cannot stand," the Counsel argued.
Justice Surya Kant remarked that while these were thought-provoking arguments, such contentions must be addressed before the appropriate forum. “The practical question today is whether this Court should impose a condition delaying the release for 2–3 days,” he observed.
Conclusively, the Court refused to entertain the petitions seeking a stay on the film's release and directed all parties to approach the Delhi High Court. The Court had requested the High Court, which has been requested to hear the matter on Monday, July 28.
Case Title: Mohammad Javed v. UOI and Jani Firefox Media v. Maulana Arshad Madani
Hearing Date: July 25, 2025
Bench: Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi