SC strict on releasing ‘Sutlej’ without censor certificate, will action be taken against ZEE5?

Tezzbuzz Desk – The Supreme Court has taken a big stand regarding the release and censor certification of films. The court has clearly said that showing any film publicly or streaming it on digital platforms without a valid censor certificate is against the law. The Supreme Court made this comment during the hearing of the case related to the film ‘Sutlej’.

The court also said important things on the responsibilities of the central government, state government and OTT platforms. The Supreme Court said that it is necessary to follow the film certification rules and if it is violated, accountability of the concerned parties should be fixed.

Screening without certificate declared illegal

During the hearing, the Supreme Court said that releasing any film in theaters or online platforms without the necessary certificate is a violation of the law. The court clarified that it is mandatory to obtain certification from the censor board before a film can be screened publicly.

The court said that the primary responsibility for action in such cases lies with the concerned state government. If any film is shown bypassing the rules then the state government should take appropriate action under the law.

Also keep an eye on the role of OTT platform

The Supreme Court also made important comments regarding streaming of films on digital platforms. The court said that the central government has the power to direct the removal of content being streamed without certification.

The court also said that the Central Government has intervened in this matter and taken steps to remove the film. It is clear from this that the role of the government is also important regarding the content available on the OTT platform.

Action may be taken on ZEE5

The Supreme Court has indicated that the role of ZEE5, the platform that streams the film ‘Sutlej’ without censor certification, can also be investigated.

The court said that in such cases it is necessary to fix the responsibility of the digital platform and action can be considered if the rules are violated.

What is ‘Sutlej’ dispute?

Actually, this matter is related to Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Punjab 95’. This film was earlier scheduled to be released in theaters with the same name, but the Censor Board had demanded more than 100 changes and cuts in the film.

After this, the makers changed the name of the film to ‘Sutlej’ and released it on the OTT platform ZEE5 without cuts. The film was streamed on July 3, but was removed from the platform on July 5 following government instructions.