In a dramatic turn just a day before its scheduled release, the Delhi High Court has stayed the screening of Udaipur Files, a film based on the gruesome 2022 beheading of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur. The stay came after a petition filed by Maulana Arshad Madani, chief of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, and journalist Prashant Tondon, who argued the film could incite communal disharmony and spread hate speech.
During a marathon five-hour hearing, the court questioned the filmmakers’ decision to upload a teaser that included uncensored scenes — some of which had been specifically ordered to be removed by the CBFC. The certified trailer, approved on July 2, had these clips removed, but the original teaser had already circulated online since June 26, prompting the board to issue a notice to the producers.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal called the film “the worst form of hate speech,” asserting that it unfairly vilifies a particular community. The bench directed the Centre to make a decision within a week on whether the film should be allowed to release, citing procedural lapses and potential threats to public order as grounds for its interim stay.
