The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday banned Bollywood film 'Goliyon ki Raasleela- Ram Leela' in Uttar Pradesh.
The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bansali, released on Novemvber 15.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Devi Prasad Singh and Ashok Pal Singh passed the order on a petition by the Maryada Purshottam Bhagwan Ramleela Samiti from Bahraich.
The petitioners had sought that controversial and objectionable dialogues be removed from the film and prayed for the cancellation of the Censor Board Certificate given to the film on November 1.
The petitioners had contended that the film hurt religious sentiments of the Hindu community and that its title 'Ramleela' sent across a wrong message as Lord Ram's 'leela' (act) had great significance in the Indian society.
Reacting to the ban, Hindi film critic Ajay Brahmatmaj said it would not only cause financial loss to the filmmaker but also deal a blow to the creative fraternity across the country.
"Film making is becoming increasingly difficult in the country. The sentiments of some organization or community are hurt suddenly, at the last moment, and the film is banned even after it has received all the necessary clearances. These instances of appeasement cause loss to creativity,"he told The Hindu.
Referring to the Supreme Court's lifting of ban on Prakash Jha's film Aarakshan after its screening had been banned by the Mayawati government in UP for two months, Mr. Brahmatmaj said the case should have served as a precedent.
