K. A. Abbas v Union of India (1970) | Film Censorship Case Explained

Case 5 of 30 in Law Easy's Media Law series. K. A. Abbas v. Union of India, Supreme Court of India, decided 1970. FACTS Writer and filmmaker K. A. Abbas made a documentary, A Tale of Four Cities, contrasting the lives of the rich and the poor, with shots of Mumbai's red-light area. He sought a 'U' certificate, but the Board gave only an 'A' certificate and the Government offered 'U' only with cuts. He challenged the whole system of film censorship. During the hearing the government agreed to a 'U' certificate without cuts. WHAT THE COURT HELD A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Hidayatullah held that pre-censorship of films is valid, because a motion picture combines sight and sound and can stir emotions more deeply than other forms of art. But the standards for censors must be clear and must leave a wide area for creative freedom, and the guidelines must not be set by the most easily shocked viewer. EXAM POINT Do not confuse the individual concession with the general rule. Film certification is valid in principle, but artistic freedom must survive it. PREVIOUS CASE: Ranjit D. Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra - https://youtu.be/djZypVSA5cE NEXT CASE: Samaresh Bose v. Amal Mitra - https://youtu.be/HuF9ii5qGjU FULL PLAYLIST (all 30 cases in order): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY-t71WbMh6k COMPLETE LECTURE (all 30 cases, 1 hour 52 minutes): https://youtu.be/8AFvktrLPM4 Made for LL.B. students and for CLAT PG, UGC NET Law and judiciary exam preparation. Subscribe to Law Easy for the full law course. Notes: https://www.thelaweasy.com #MediaLaw #FilmLaw #LawEasy