Madras High Court disposes Vetri Maaran’s case after CBFC highlights portions for editing in Tamil movie Manushi

A poster of the Tamil film Manushi
| Photo Credit: X / @GopiNainar

The Madras High Court, on Tuesday (June 17, 2025), disposed of a writ petition filed by film director Vetri Maaran after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reported that it had reviewed the Tamil movie Manushi, produced by him, as per court orders and listed out the portions that require editing before the grant of censor certificate.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh recorded the submission made by central government senior panel counsel A. Kumaraguru and closed the writ petition which had been filed against blanket rejection of censor certificate. Passing interim orders, the judge, had on June 4, directed CBFC to list out the objectionable portions.

Though the counsel for Mr. Maaran contended that his client had reservations over the CBFC’s insistence on editing some of the scenes and dialogues, the judge said, those issues could not be gone into in the present writ petition and that it would be open to the writ petitioner to challenge them in the manner known to law.

Mr. Maaran had produced the Andrea Jeremiah-starrer Manushi under his banner titled ‘Grassroot Film Company’. Directed by Aramm-fame Gopi Nainar, the film’s trailer, released last year, tells the story revolving around the custodial torture faced by a woman suspected to be a terrorist.

The CBFC’s examining committee as well as screening committee (an appellate body) had refused to recommend issuance of censor certificate for the movie in September 2024 on grounds that it was against the integrity of the State; it had scenes that were contemptuous; it defames government policies; portrays stereotypes leading to a north/south divide; and that it had many scenes that were against the interests of the country.

However, after Mr. Maaran approached the court early this month, the judge directed CBFC to specify the visuals, scenes, dialogues and so on that required editing instead of passing a blanket order denying censor certificate for the entire movie.