High Court to hear Amol Palekar's plea against pre-censorship of dramas and plays after a decade

After a decade-long wait, the Bombay High Court connected Thursday (November 6, 2025) said it volition perceive successful December a petition filed by histrion Amol Palekar seeking extortion of creator freedom, which helium claimed was being violated by rules that mandate pre-censorship of scripts of plays/dramas.

Mr. Palekar's counsel, Anil Anturkar, urged a seat of Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash to instrumentality up for proceeding the petition filed mode backmost successful 2016. The petitioner (Palekar) is 85 years aged present and wants an outcome, beryllium it affirmative oregon negative, to his petition, Mr. Anturkar told the court.

The tribunal agreed and said it would perceive the plea connected December 5.

The actor's counsel said the contented is lone whether nether the provisions of the Bombay Police Act, the constabulary has the authorization of pre-censorship of dramas and plays. "We are present successful an epoch wherever determination is nary censorship of shows and bid connected OTTs," Mr. Anturkar said.

In September 2017, the High Court had admitted Mr. Palekar's petition but it was ne'er taken up for last proceeding since then. Mr. Palekar, successful his petition, challenged rules which makes pre-censorship of the scripts of plays mandatory by the Maharashtra State Performance Scrutiny Board.

In his plea, the acclaimed histrion has said the rules are 'arbitrary' and violative of the cardinal rights of a national guaranteed nether the Constitution of India.

Under Section 33 (1) (wa) of the Bombay Police Act, the Commissioner of Police oregon Superintendent of Police tin framework rules for Licensing and Controlling Places of Public Amusement (other than cinemas) and Performance for Public Amusement, including Melas and Tamashas.

By these rules, for regularisation successful the involvement of nationalist order, decency oregon morality, anterior scrutiny of specified performances and of the publication was made mandatory, aft which a certificate would beryllium issued taxable to conditions.

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"This pre-censorship leads to curtailment of creator freedom. Because of this, galore historical plays person not been performed successful its archetypal form," the petition said.