Even as the Bombay High Court has dismissed the plea seeking a stay on the release of the upcoming film The Kashmir Files, Additional District Judge Jammu on Thursday restrained the director of the movie Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri from showing the scenes depicting the acts pertaining to the martyr Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna.
The much-publicized movie 'The Kashmir Files' is to be released on the 11th of March 2022.
The Court issued these directions after the wife of martyr of Squadron leader Ravi Khanna approached the Court for removing and deleting the scene and incorrect facts displayed/shown vis-a-vis her husband in the movie and the trailer of the movie.
"During the screening of the trailer of the movie at Jammu, I objected depicting incorrect facts about my martyr husband", Nirmal Khanna, wife of martyr Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna told the International Bussiness Times. "As the director of the movie is not ready to present a correct picture of the role of my husband, I have no option but to approach the Court," She said and added that her objection was only to scenes pertaining to her husband.
Court passes interim order
Additional District Judge Jammu on Thursday passed an interim order restraining makers of the movie 'The Kashmir Files' from showing scenes depicting late Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna in the movie.
Additional District Judge Deepak Sethi passed the order on a suit by the wife of the late Squadron Leader contending that the scenes are not factually correct and demean her late husband.
"The defendants are restrained by way of temporary injunction from showing the scenes depicting the acts pertaining to the husband of the plaintiff namely Martyr Squadron leader Ravi Khanna in the Movie 'The Kashmir Files' to be released on 11th of March 2022," the order said.
The Court observed that if no relief is granted to the applicant without serving prior notice of the application on the defendants, the suit will become infructuous and defeated by delay.
The order is, however, subject to objections, alterations, or modification if any by the other side, it added.
The plaintiff stated in her plaint that she had attended the premiere of the movie when she discovered that the facts about her deceased husband have been wrongly portrayed and were not based on true facts.
The defendants were given the liberty to move a motion for vacation of the interim order even prior to the next date fixed in the case, March 19. Advocates Himanshu Beotra and Rohan Kidar Sharma appeared on behalf of Nirmal Khanna.
Four IAF personnel were killed in a terror attack in 1990
Four Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, including Ravi Khanna, were killed in a terror attack on January 25, 1990, in which JKLF chief Yasin Malik was involved.
"My unarmed and innocent husband was killed by terrorists without any reason. I am fighting to get justice since 1990", Nirmal Khanna said and pointed out that she wanted that real picture of her husband's role during the terror attack should be depicted in the movie.
Bombay High Court dismisses plea
The Bombay High Court has already dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL) which was seeking a stay on the release of Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files. The film is set to hit the cinemas on March 11.
The Kashmir Files movie is based on the lives of Kashmiri Pandits and is inspired by true events. It stars Anupam Kher and Mithun Chakraborty in the lead roles.
A Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL). The bench said that the detailed order recording reasons will be given later.
At the start of the hearing of the plea, the bench asked the lawyer representing the petitioner if he had bothered to read the judgment passed by them two weeks ago in PILs against the film Gangubai Kathiawadi. The bench had junked the petitions stating that the petitioners had not challenged the certificate issued to the film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
