A complaint was filed against filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar on Thursday, alleging that his Marathi film, Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha, portrays women and children in an objectionable manner.
As per a News18 report, the complaint was filed before the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court by the Kshatriya Maratha Seva Sanstha, seeking action against Manjrekar under IPC sections 292 (distribution of obscene content), 295 (punishment for obscene acts or words in public), and 34 (common intention), and the Indecent Representation of the Women Prohibition Act.
In addition to the director, the complaint also names the film’s producers, Narendra, Shreyans Hirawat, and NH Studioz.
Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha was released in theatres and on OTT platforms on January 14.
Manjrekar told News18 that the film was duly examined by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and certified ‘A’. “We agreed to it as we were aware that our film is for an adult audience. So I haven’t decided which audience can watch it. I think the legal system will do the needful, so let them decide whether they find anything objectionable,” he said.
“Today everyone has an objection against something in every film. We can’t be catering to everyone who has objections. The producers will take a legal opinion and respond,” the filmmaker further added.
Previously, the National Commission for Women had written to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry seeking its intervention in censoring content from the film’s trailer that depicted women and minors in ‘objectionable ways’.
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Later, the National Commission for Protection of Childs had also written to the Director-General of Police, Maharashtra and asked for an FIR to be registered against the makers of the movie. The complaint stated that the trailer portrayed minors committing illegal and unlawful acts in the trailer, which falls under Section 2(c) of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, and also violated IPC section 292 (production, distribution, and selling of obscene material) and section 13 of the POCSO (Protection of Child From Sexual Offense) Act.
The trailer was subsequently pulled down. However, the film was released with an ‘A’ certificate and has now drawn further ire.
Speaking to News18, producer Hirawat said the team complied with the request to take down the trailer as it was accessible to everyone, including children.
Noting that the objection to the film itself has come a little too late as it has been running in cinemas for a while now, he added, “The only people allowed to watch the film in theatres are people above 18 years of age, so I don’t see the whole objection.”