Mumbai High Court has refused to grant stay to Peter Mukerjea’s family on the release of the movie Dark Chocolate, thereby dropping curtains on the uncertainty over the fate of the movie.
A division bench of Mumbai High Court comprising Justices SC Dharmadhikari and AA Sayed, JJ, stated: “There is no question of staying the film. The film has not been presented to the CBFC. The CBFC is a very responsible body having a very learned panel whose duty is to see films and certify them as per the guidelines emanating from The Cinematograph Act, 1952.”
The Defense Counsel Advocate Monesh Prem said: “The honourable court has said that the question of stay does not arise. Dark Chocolate is free to go for censor. And the film can go through the legitimate progression of completion.”
“Now it is the prerogative of the Censor Board to view the film within the purview of the guidelines and provisions of The Cinematograph Act, 1952. The producers MacNeill Engineering Ltd are free to go ahead in their normal course of releasing the movie,” he added.
The counsel for the petitioner and counsel for respondent number one CBFC, but the petitioner sister of Peter Mukerjea was not present.
Earlier, Peter Mukerjea’s sister Shangom Das Gupta had filed a petition in Mumbai High Court seeking stay on the release of the Bengali movie Dark Chocolate,alleging that a character in the movie resembled Peter and would hamper the latter’sopportunity for a fair and impartial trial.
Director Agnidev Chatterjee and Producer Pradip Churiwal expressed happiness at the court’s judgment.
