Archive · 6 Nov 2025
Bombay High Court to Hear Amol Palekar's Pre-Censorship Plea After 10 Years
Imagine someone wants to put on a play, but before they can even practice it, a special group has to read the whole script and give it permission.
A famous actor named Amol Palekar thinks this is unfair.
He believes artists should be free to create without someone reading everything beforehand, especially since many other shows, like those on TV streaming services, don't have this rule.
He asked a big court for help a long time ago, and now, after waiting for ten years, the court has finally said they will listen to his case in December.
He hopes the court will agree that artists should have the freedom to express themselves without this kind of early checking.
The Bombay High Court will hear actor Amol Palekar's decade-old petition on December 5.
Palekar's petition challenges mandatory pre-censorship of play and drama scripts by the Maharashtra State Performance Scrutiny Board.
He argues that pre-censorship curtails artistic freedom and violates fundamental constitutional rights.
The petition questions the police's authority under the Bombay Police Act to conduct pre-censorship of performances.
Palekar's counsel highlighted the contrast with uncensored content on OTT platforms.
- Who
- Actor Amol Palekar and the Bombay High Court
- What
- The Bombay High Court agreed to hear a decade-old petition filed by Amol Palekar challenging the mandatory pre-censorship of play scripts.
- When
- The High Court will hear the plea on December 5, after agreeing to take it up for hearing following a ten-year wait since it was filed in 2016.
- Where
- Bombay High Court
- Why
- Palekar's petition argues that mandatory pre-censorship of scripts curtails artistic freedom and violates fundamental rights, questioning the police's authority to conduct such censorship.
Amol Palekar's Stance
Government/Police Stance (Implied)
Artistic Freedom vs. Regulation
Amol Palekar's Stance
Mandatory pre-censorship of play scripts curtails artistic freedom and violates fundamental rights, especially in an era of uncensored OTT content.
Government/Police Stance (Implied)
Rules under the Bombay Police Act are in place for regulation in the interest of public order, decency, or morality, requiring prior scrutiny of performances and scripts.
Authority of Pre-Censorship
Amol Palekar's Stance
The petition questions whether the police have the authority for pre-censorship of dramas and plays under the Bombay Police Act.
Government/Police Stance (Implied)
Section 33(1)(wa) of the Bombay Police Act allows the commissioner or superintendent of police to frame rules for licensing and controlling places of public amusement, including performance scrutiny.
- Petitioner
- Amol Palekar
- Court
- Bombay High Court
- Petition Filed
- 2016
- Hearing Date
- December 5
- Challenged Rules
- Rules making pre-censorship of play scripts mandatory by the Maharashtra State Performance Scrutiny Board
- Legal Basis for Rules
- Section 33(1)(wa) of the Bombay Police Act