HC declines plea claiming film Aankh Micholi derogatory towards PwDs

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea claiming that the film Aankh Micholi is violative of rights of persons with disabilities PwD and portrays characters suffering from various disabilities in an extremely derogatory and insensitive manner.A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said in cinematic work, a lot of latitude is given and once the Central Board of Film Certification CBFC gives certificate to a movie courts normally do not interfere.We do not want too much censorship.

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea claiming that the film ''Aankh Micholi'' is violative of rights of persons with disabilities (PwD) and portrays characters suffering from various disabilities in an "extremely derogatory and insensitive manner".

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said in cinematic work, a lot of latitude is given and once the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gives certificate to a movie courts normally do not interfere.

"We do not want too much censorship. We are one of the few countries where there is prior censorship. We are a country where scenes are deleted before the film's release," the bench said while dismissed the plea.

The high court said creative freedom should be cherished and though some things may be extremely disparaging, social evils can be dealt with by showing that they exist.

Petitioner Nipun Malhotra, a disability rights activist who is suffering from a loco motor disability, submitted that the movie is disparaging and violative of the rights of several classes of PwDs, including those with speech, visual disability, and hearing disabilities among others.

The petitioner, represented through advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, contended that it is a disturbing and deeply troubling portrayal of PwDs, which runs afoul of not only established societal norms but also legal provisions that safeguard the rights and dignity of PwDs.

The plea submitted that the movie includes scenes and characterisations that are not only offensive but also reinforce harmful stereotypes.

The film, starring Paresh Rawal, Abhimanyu Dassani and Mrunal Thakur as leads, was released on November 3, 2023.