Madras High Court upholds ‘A’ certificate for Rajinikanth’s Coolie
Noting that both the CBFC’s examining and revising committees had unanimously granted the film an ‘A’ rating, the counsel said the Board had also offered a U/A certificate if further cuts were made
Madras High Court upholds A certificate for Rajinikanth’s Coolie
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by Sun Pictures, producers of actor Rajinikanth’s latest release Coolie, challenging the ‘A’ (adults only) certificate granted to the film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Justice TV Thamilselvi held that the plea had no merit, as reported by Bar and Bench.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan, appearing for the CBFC, argued that Coolie contained “several violent and extremely threatening scenes” along with depictions of frequent smoking and drinking, which were not suitable for children.
Noting that both the CBFC’s examining and revising committees had unanimously granted the film an ‘A’ rating, the counsel said the Board had also offered a U/A certificate if further cuts were made. However, Sun TV Network Limited chose to accept the ‘A’ certificate after refusing the additional cuts, he added.
Sundaresan also pointed out that Coolie was granted an ‘A’ certificate on August 4 and released on August 14, but Sun Pictures' appeal was filed only on August 18.
On the other hand, senior counsel J Ravindran, representing Sun Pictures, had earlier contended that the decision to grant Coolie an ‘A’ certificate was arbitrary and discriminatory, pointing out that several action-heavy films such as KGF and Beast had received U/A ratings despite showcasing greater violence. He argued that the ‘A’ certificate restricted families from watching Coolie, which was released to commemorate Rajinikanth's 50 years in cinema, thereby impacting box-office prospects.
The petition also highlighted that objectionable language had been removed, alcohol-related visuals blurred, and other CBFC conditions complied with. The producers said Coolie was already being watched by children overseas in countries with stricter censorship laws.
Coolie is the first Rajinikanth film in over three decades to receive an ‘A’ certificate, the last instance being Siva (1989).
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and featuring Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan and Aamir Khan, Coolie released on August 14. The film grossed an estimated Rs 264.25 crore net across India in its first 13 days, according to Sacnilk.
