Madras HC orders cuts in Vetrimaaran-Andrea Jeremiah's Manushi, directs resubmission to CBFC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday ordered the removal of certain scenes from the upcoming Tamil film Manushi, produced by acclaimed filmmaker Vetrimaaran, and directed that the revised version be resubmitted for censorship.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, Justice N Anand Venkatesh, after watching the film, instructed the crew to alter or delete specific dialogues and scenes featuring lead actor Andrea Jeremiah. He further directed them to submit the revised version to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) within two weeks.

Earlier this month, Justice Venkatesh had decided to watch Manushi in a private screening to find out if the CBFC is justified in suggesting 37 cuts. He was responding to a writ petition filed by Vetrimaaran.

The film, produced under Vetrimaaran's Grassroot Film Company banner and directed by Gopi Nainar, known for his earlier work Aramm, stars Andrea Jeremiah in the lead role. It depicts the custodial torture of a woman suspected of being a terrorist, a subject that has already drawn attention since the release of its trailer by actor Vijay Sethupathi in April 2024.

Trouble began in September 2024 when both the examining and reviewing committees of the CBFC refused to grant a censor certificate.

They objected to the film because it portrayed the State in a "negative light" and claimed it blurred the lines between "leftist communism" and "mainstream communism".

The rejection was challenged by Vetrimaaran in June this year, when he filed a writ petition alleging that the CBFC had acted without transparency by neither providing him an opportunity to defend the film nor spelling out specific objections.

He further requested the constitution of an expert panel, including human rights activists, to re-examine the film.

The High Court, while hearing that earlier petition, recorded the CBFC's submission that it had reviewed the film again and listed objectionable sequences.

The petition was disposed of in June, with the court granting the producer liberty to pursue the matter further in law.

However, Vetrimaaran returned to court with a fresh petition, arguing that the board's objections were excessive and arbitrary.

He pointed out that even simple dialogues, such as the colloquial insult "saniyan", had been flagged for removal, which he argued violated the CBFC's guidelines.

(With inputs from IANS)