The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to stay the release of the film Udaipur Files, which hit theatres today. The petition for a stay was filed by Mohd Javed, an accused in the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, who argued that the movie’s release would prejudice his right to a fair trial.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela rejected Javed’s plea, allowing the film to proceed to release as scheduled.
The decision came a day after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) dismissed all revision petitions challenging the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) approval of the movie, thereby clearing the final legal hurdle for its public screening.
The MIB’s August 6 order upheld the CBFC’s certification process, noting that the filmmakers had complied with 55 mandated cuts and made additional voluntary edits. It further found no procedural irregularities or new evidence warranting revocation of the certification. Invoking Section 6(2) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the Ministry ruled that there was no legal ground to alter or suspend the film’s classification.
The Additional Solicitor General also informed the High Court that the Centre had withdrawn its earlier directive recommending six additional cuts to the movie. Following this statement, the court disposed of two other petitions seeking to block the release.
The film—titled Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder—has been in the spotlight for weeks due to its sensitive subject matter, alleged communal undertones, and ongoing judicial proceedings related to the crime it depicts. The Delhi High Court had previously stayed the movie’s release on July 11 before directing the Centre last week to reconsider the revision petitions afresh.
Based on real events, the movie portrays the brutal daylight killing of Kanhaiya Lal in 2022, a case that drew national attention and remains under trial.