The release of Tamil version of Bollywood film "Madras Cafe" is likely to be delayed as its producer informed the Madras High Court today that the Censor Board was yet to clear it.
During the hearing of a PIL, which sought a ban on the release of the film in Tamil Nadu, counsel for the producer said that while the Hindi version has been cleared by the Censor Board, its Tamil version was yet to be cleared.
The Tamil version is scheduled to be released across the state on August 23.
On hearing his submission, justices S Rajeswaran and T Mathivanan said there was no need to give any interim direction at this point of time.
The state government advocate denied allegations by the petitioner without elaborating on the issue.
The judges asked the Director General of Police and the producer to give a detailed reply to the petitioner's charges and posted the case for hearing on September 3.
Advocate Stalin in his petition submitted that the background for the film was Sri Lankan ethnic strife, assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and operations of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka.
He alleged the film portrays Tamils as anti-nationals and terrorists and so it should be banned in Tamil Nadu.
He also claimed that 'Madras Cafe' is financed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to justify the human rights violations during the war. Depiction of Tamils as terrorists and mercenaries throughout the film was not conducive for public viewing in Tamil Nadu, he said.
The conflict between LTTE and Indian Peace Keeping Force during peace keeping operations portrayed Tamils as being against IPKF, bringing disrepute to Tamils, he alleged.
Stalin also wondered how a film with 'such brutality, mindless violence and vulgarity' was given clearance by the Censor Board.
The petitioner further sought an interim direction, restraining the film, producer, director, Tamil Nadu DGP and Censor Board from releasing the film and also to quash the Board's clearance certificate for the film.
