Madras High Court denies U/a certificate for Rajinikanth’s Coolie
The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition by Sun TV Network seeking a U/A certificate for the film Coolie, starring superstar Rajinikanth.
The ruling upholds the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) decision to give the movie an “A” certificate, which restricts viewership to those aged 18 and older.
This verdict comes despite the producers’ argument that the film, a celebration of Rajinikanth’s 50 years in cinema, should be accessible to his multi-generational fanbase.
Justice T.V. Thamilselvi, who presided over the case, dismissed the civil miscellaneous appeal, stating it lacked merit. The court’s decision was based on the CBFC’s submission that both its examining and revising committees had unanimously agreed on the “A” rating due to the film’s high level of violence. The CBFC’s legal counsel, Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan, told the court that the movie contained “frequent and extensive violence, apart from sustained portrayal of smoking and drinking liquor with occasional use of bad language.”
The CBFC also revealed that it had offered to grant a U/A certificate if the filmmakers made specific cuts to the violent scenes, but the producers declined and initially accepted the “A” certificate.
The court found that the production house’s decision to challenge the certification only after the film’s release weakened their legal standing.