1 hr ago
Pune, Nashik Documentary Screenings Cancelled Over Certification Dispute
A documentary about activist Umar Khalid was supposed to be shown in Pune and Nashik.
The screenings were cancelled after police said the film did not have a certificate from India’s film-certification board.
The board says public screenings of uncertified films can break the law unless an exemption is granted.
Police also said the events could create law-and-order problems.
Organisers argued that people should be allowed to watch and discuss the film.
They said cancelling it harms free speech and debate.
The ABVP opposed the Nashik screening, saying the documentary glorifies Khalid.
Similar screenings were cancelled at institutions in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Khalid has been in judicial custody for six years in a case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, but the trial has not yet begun.
Screenings of Prisoner No: 626710 is Present were cancelled in Pune and Nashik after police cited the film’s lack of certification.
Police allegedly warned Pune organisers and audiences of consequences, while Nashik organisers were told an uncertified public screening could be a non-bailable offence.
The Central Board of Film Certification said public screenings of uncertified documentaries violate the 1952 Cinematograph Act unless an exemption is obtained.
Similar cancellations were reported at the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru and the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.
Organisers and supporters called the cancellations suppression of dissent, while the ABVP and Bharatiya Janata Party opponents said the documentary glorifies Umar Khalid.
- Who
- Working Title Film Club, Satyashodhak Vidyarthi Sanghatna, and the Indian People’s Theatre Association organised the proposed screenings; police, the Central Board of Film Certification, and the ABVP opposed or questioned them.
- What
- Screenings of the documentary Prisoner No: 626710 is Present were cancelled in Pune and Nashik.
- Where
- Pune and Nashik, Maharashtra; similar cancellations were reported in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
- When
- The Pune and Nashik screenings were scheduled for Saturday; related cancellations were also reported on Thursday and Sunday.
- Why
- Police and the certification board cited the film’s lack of certification, while organisers said the cancellations suppressed dissent and public discussion.
Organisers and Free-Speech Supporters
Police, Certification Authorities, and Opponents
Whether the screenings should proceed
Organisers and Free-Speech Supporters
Organisers said willing adults should be able to attend a private screening and discuss the documentary.
Police, Certification Authorities, and Opponents
Police said a publicised, free event was not a private home viewing and could violate rules because the film lacked certification.
Meaning of the cancellations
Organisers and Free-Speech Supporters
The organisers called the cancellations suppression of dissent and said they raised concerns about public dialogue.
Police, Certification Authorities, and Opponents
The Central Board of Film Certification said public exhibition of an uncertified film violates the law unless an exemption is obtained.
Portrayal of Umar Khalid
Organisers and Free-Speech Supporters
Supporters intended the event to discuss democracy, freedom, and Khalid’s incarceration.
Police, Certification Authorities, and Opponents
The ABVP and Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Ajit Chavan described the documentary as glorifying Khalid, whom they characterised as anti-national.
Key facts
- Documentary
- Prisoner No: 626710 is Present
- Pune organisers
- Working Title Film Club and Satyashodhak Vidyarthi Sanghatna
- Nashik organiser
- Indian People’s Theatre Association
- Certification issue
- The film had not received clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification.
- Law cited
- The certification body referred to the 1952 Cinematograph Act.
- Expected Pune attendance
- More than 100 participants were expected.
- Umar Khalid case
- Khalid has been in judicial custody for six years; the trial has not begun.
Quotes
Mukta Kawale
President of the Indian People’s Theatre Association
“We strongly condemn this attempt at suppression.”
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“would face consequences”
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Working Title Film Club member
An unidentified member of the Pune film club organising the cancelled screening
“The state is so petty.”
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Sources
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