In a high-stakes cinematic showdown, India’s CBFC has approached the Supreme Court with a caveat over ‘Leo’, Thalapathy Vijay’s eagerly awaited actioner. The plea blocks any one-sided orders until the board presents its case, amid a tangled web of high court reversals.
The drama ignited when ‘Leo’, submitted in December 2023, faced CBFC cuts on violent scenes and dialogues. Post-compliance, complaints triggered a revising committee review, derailing its January 9 Pongal premiere. Madras High Court intervened: a single judge mandated UA 16+ clearance; division bench stayed it.
Producers challenged the stay in Supreme Court, rebuffed on January 15 with a nod to Madras HC’s January 20 deadline. CBFC’s caveat now safeguards against hasty apex interventions.
Featuring Vijay alongside Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, and Prakash Raj, ‘Leo’ symbolizes the actor’s cinematic farewell before politics beckons. The conflict underscores certification bottlenecks: boards cite legal duties to objections, makers demand efficiency.
Legal experts view this as emblematic of Tamil film’s certification woes, where festive slots amplify delays’ impact. CBFC upholds procedural integrity; producers push for swift approvals post-edits.
As January 30 dawns, ‘Leo’s fate hangs in balance. This saga could spur reforms in film certification, ensuring releases align with audience frenzy without compromising standards.