New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to urgently hear a plea seeking a stay on the release of the controversial film Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder, thereby allowing the film’s scheduled release on July 11 to proceed, reported the Maktoob Media.
The petition was filed by Mohammed Javed, the eighth accused in the 2022 murder case of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor from Udaipur, Rajasthan. Javed sought a stay on the film’s release until the conclusion of the ongoing trial, arguing that the film could influence judicial proceedings and violate his right to a fair trial.
Advocate Pyoli, representing Javed, urged an immediate listing before a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi. However, the court declined to list the matter urgently and directed the counsel to mention the case before the appropriate bench after the court’s reopening on July 14.
The film, directed by Bharat S. Shrinate and starring Vijay Raaz, dramatizes the murder of Kanhaiya Lal, who was killed by two Muslim men in June 2022 after he posted social media content in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, known for her derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. One assailant reportedly recorded the brutal killing on video.
The petitioner contended that promotional material and the trailer of Udaipur Files were communally provocative, potentially creating public bias and portraying the accused as guilty before the court’s verdict. Citing Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, the plea urged the government to revoke the film’s certification in the interest of justice and communal harmony.
Previously titled Gyanvapi Files, the film was renamed Udaipur Files, shifting focus from the disputed Gyanvapi mosque to the Udaipur killing. The project has drawn criticism from various civil society groups and political organizations.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani recently announced that the group has moved High Courts in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat seeking a stay on the film, alleging that it spreads Hindutva propaganda and stokes Islamophobia by maligning the Muslim community.
Reliance Entertainment, the film’s distributor, has also come under fire for promoting content accused of threatening social cohesion and spreading hateful narratives.
