New Delhi : Despite widespread opposition from civil society and Muslim organisations, the Supreme Court has cleared the release of the controversial film Udaipur Files after producers accepted six cuts and changes to the disclaimer, as required by the Centre. The apex court declined to extend the stay earlier issued by the High Court and suggested that further legal challenges be pursued at the High Court level. The producers have also been permitted to seek police protection amid growing concerns over the film’s content and potential to inflame tensions, reported the India Today.
The film, which dramatizes the tragic June 2022 killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, is being seen by many as a dangerous attempt to vilify the Muslim community. Civil rights organisations and Islamic scholars have strongly objected to the way Muslims are depicted in the film, which includes disturbing and false portrayals such as a Muslim man throwing meat at a Hindu household and the arrest of Muslim students—scenes that critics say fuel Islamophobia and incite hatred.
Adding to the alarm is the Centre’s decision to grant Y-level security to the film’s producer, Amit Jani—known for his long history of provocative actions and communal rhetoric. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will now provide him security in both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Amit Jani, who heads the extremist group Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, has over 14 criminal cases filed against him, including for vandalising a statue of Dalit leader and former CM Mayawati, issuing threats to student leaders like Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid, and putting up Islamophobic posters and hoardings. In 2019, he even barred Kashmiris from his hotel in Noida after the Pulwama incident. Shockingly, Jani once offered a Lok Sabha ticket to Shambhu Lal Regar—the man who brutally murdered Mohammad Afrazul Khan in 2017 and proudly recorded the act.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani had petitioned the court against the film’s release, warning of the grave threat it poses to communal harmony. Muslim leaders and civil rights activists have called the film cinematic hate speech, accusing it of deliberately targeting the Muslim community and presenting a distorted narrative to stoke fear and resentment.
One of the accused in the Udaipur case, Mohammad Javed, also approached the court, arguing that the film compromises his right to a fair trial by portraying him and others as guilty before a judicial verdict has been passed.
Despite such serious concerns, the film has now been approved for release on August 8, 2025, after superficial edits—leaving Muslim communities and human rights groups deeply unsettled.
The release of Udaipur Files is being seen not just as an attack on truth but as part of a broader trend of media and political narratives being weaponised to demonise minorities. Many fear that such content will only deepen divides, escalate communal tension, and further marginalise Muslims in India.
