Rajinikanth's Coolie makers contested the CBFC's ‘A’ certificate
They approached the Madras High Court
Additional Solicitor General AR.L. Sundaresan told the court that the makers made an "endorsement" stating that they don't want any cuts and accepted an 'A' certificate
Ahead of its release, Rajinikanth starrer Coolie received an 'A' certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which means that the film is prohibited to watch by anybody under the age of 18, in theatres for excessive violence, sexual content, or offensive language. Lokesh Kanagaraj's directorial hit the screens on August 14. Now, in less than a week of its release, it has landed in a legal tussle, as Sun Pictures, the makers of Coolie approached the Madras High Court, contesting the censor board's decision to issue the film an A certificate.
The CBFC on Wednesday (August 20) told the Madras High Court that Sun TV Network Limited had refused to make the necessary cuts to the film and accepted an ‘A’ certificate, reported The Hindu.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) AR.L. Sundaresan, who appeared before Justice T.V. Thamilselvi, said, "At the time of hearing, it was proposed to them that if you want U/A certificate, some more cuts have to be made."
"They made an endorsement saying that we don’t want any cuts, but give us the ‘A’ certificate. They accepted the ‘A’ certificate and cannot turn a volte face now," added the ASG
As per a report in India Today, on August 19, Justice TV Thamilselvi filed a petition on behalf of Sun Pictures against the CBFC's decision. The makers said that Coolie has action sequences like other films, including KGF and Beast, and both were cleared with a U/A certificate.
Central government counsel A Kumaraguru claimed that the plea was not maintainable. But senior advocate J Ravindran, who was assisted by M Sneha, countered it, saying that under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 (which dissolved the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal), the High Court has jurisdiction to hear such appeals, following which the matter was heard today.
Coolie is running successfully in theatres in India and worldwide. As per makers, it has made a worldwide collection of Rs 404+ crores in just 4 days.
