New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court to restrain the release of the feature film “Yadav Ji Ki Love Story”, scheduled for nationwide release on Friday, alleging that the movie’s title and portrayal risk reinforcing caste-based stereotypes and disturbing social harmony.
The petition, filed by advocate Makardhvaj Yadav, contended that the proposed release has already triggered organised protests, representations before district authorities, and public demonstrations by members of the Yadav community in several parts of the country.
Stating that the issue goes beyond a private grievance, the plea submitted that there exists a “genuine and reasonable apprehension” that exhibition of the film in its present form may lead to caste-based tension and disruption of public order.
“The proposed release has already led to organised protests and expressions of concern by members of the Yadav community across various regions, indicating a credible apprehension of disturbance to public order and social harmony,” the petition stated.
According to the plea, the film’s use of the caste-identifying expression “Yadav Ji” in its title and promotional material inevitably associates an entire community with the narrative and characterisation of a commercial cinematic work.
“The deliberate use of a caste-specific identifier in a commercial cinematic narrative inevitably associates the entire community with the themes, characterisation, and narrative arc of the film,” the plea stated, urging the top court to examine the impact of such portrayal on an ordinary, prudent viewer in the prevailing socio-cultural context.
The petitioner argued that, despite promotional claims describing the movie as a fictional romantic drama, the combination of a caste-specific title and reportedly sensitive social themes may reinforce stereotypes associated with the community.
“In the present socio-political climate, such portrayal may inadvertently contribute to social polarisation or misunderstanding,” the petition said.
It also alleged that release of the film in its present form could cause “irreparable injury” to the dignity, reputation, and collective self-respect of members of the Yadav community.
“The right to dignity and reputation forms an intrinsic part of Article 21, and the use of ‘Yadav Ji’ in the title may reasonably be understood as attributing the narrative’s themes to the community at large rather than to a fictional individual,” the plea stated.
The petition submitted that no efficacious alternative remedy exists in view of the imminent release date and urged the Supreme Court to grant an interim stay, arguing that any damage to social harmony and community dignity would be irreversible if the film is released and later found unconstitutional.
“The balance of convenience lies in favour of temporary restraint, which would not cause irreparable prejudice to the producers, who may undertake suitable modification subject to judicial direction,” the plea stated.
The petition assumes significance in light of the Supreme Court’s recent observations in another film-related controversy concerning the title “Ghooskhor Pandat”.
A Bench led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna had come down heavily on the filmmakers, observing that freedom of speech and expression cannot be used as a licence to denigrate a section of society.
“Freedom of speech and expression does not mean you can portray a community in a bad light,” the apex court had orally remarked, cautioning that such nomenclature could disturb social harmony at a time when societal tensions already exist.
Following the apex court’s strong observations, filmmaker Neeraj Pandey filed an affidavit assuring the Supreme Court that the controversial title had been “unequivocally withdrawn” and that the film does not insult or target any religion or community.
–IANS
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