NEW DELHI: Refusing an urgent listing of a plea to stay release of Ajay Devgn-starrer movie ‘Thank God’ on October 25 over alleged derogatory references to Lord Chitragupta, a Supreme Court Bench of Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi fixed the hearing on November 1.
Shri Chitragupta Welfare Trust had not only sought a stay on the release of the movie, but also sought removal of its trailers and posters from electronic and social media platforms kike YouTube since it allegedly contained “derogatory expressions, acts, statements, dialogues and insulting images and videos in and around the character of God Chitragupta.”
The petitioner’s lawyer pleaded that the plea would become infructuous if heard after the film’s release on October 25, but the Bench remained firm: “It can be heard later.”
Devgn plays ‘God Chitragupta,’ who is worshipped by the Hindus and whom people belonging to the Kayastha caste have great reverence.
The plea, which made the Central Board of Film Certification, movie’s director Indra Kumar, producer Bhushan Kumar nd Devgn as respondents, reads: “The religious sentiments of the petitioner, including other Kayastha people in the country is being harmed/injured and fundamental right is infringed and violated by the respondents by making and releasing the said movie.”
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