Madras HC closes Vetri Maaran’s plea regarding 'Manushi'

The Madras High Court has formally concluded a petition filed by Kollywood filmmaker Vetri Maaran concerning the certification of his latest production, Manushi. The court disposed of his plea following fresh submissions from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during a recent hearing on June 17.About Madras HC's recent orderAccording to Live Law, Justice N. Anand Venkatesh took note of the CBFC’s updated response, in which the board, through central government counsel A. Kumaraguru, clarified that specific edits had been proposed for the film. As a result, the court declared the current plea closed.Vetri Maaran had previously approached the court, contending that the CBFC had summarily denied certification to ‘Manushi’ without offering clear reasons for its decision.

Vetri Maaran's pleaIn an earlier hearing on June 4, the High Court directed the CBFC to ensure greater transparency by pinpointing the exact scenes, dialogues, or sequences it found objectionable, rather than issuing a broad rejection. Responding to the court’s direction, the board conducted a fresh review and presented a list of proposed cuts.Vetri Maaran’s counsel informed the court that the filmmaker disagreed with several of the CBFC's objections.

However, Justice Venkatesh clarified that the current writ petition could not be extended to challenge those individual objections and that a new legal petition would need to be filed for further review.About Manushi‘Manushi’, featuring Andrea Jeremiah and helmed by director Gopi Nainar, is a hard-hitting social drama produced under Vetri Maaran’s production house.The project has faced significant hurdles, with both the examining and revising panels of the CBFC reportedly refusing certification back in September 2024. The board cited concerns over content it believed undermined governmental policies, threatened national unity, and accentuated regional divisions, particularly between northern and southern India.