A public interest litigation has been filed before the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow Bench seeking to restrain the theatrical release of “Mirzapur: The Movie” until alleged derogatory references to Mirzapur, explicit violence and obscene content are removed from the film.
The petition has been filed by advocate Shalu Pandey against the Union of India, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd. (Prime Video). The movie is stated to be scheduled for theatrical release on September 4, 2026.
The petitioner has sought a direction to the CBFC to refuse or withhold an exhibition certificate for the film until the disputed material is removed. A separate direction has been sought to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to frame regulatory guidelines aimed at preventing what the plea describes as commercial territorial defamation and protecting the public morality of residents of Mirzapur district.
Plea Alleges Stereotyping of Mirzapur
According to the petition, the makers have used the identity of the actual Mirzapur district while allegedly portraying it in a manner that causes territorial defamation and stereotypes Uttar Pradesh.
It claims that the franchise has associated the district with violence, obscenity and derogatory content despite Mirzapur being known for the Vindhyavasini Dham and GI-tagged carpet and brass handicrafts. The petitioner alleges that such portrayal causes psychological humiliation to local residents.
The plea also raises objections to the content of previous seasons of the “Mirzapur” web series. It alleges extreme profanity, sexual perversion and gruesome violence and invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. These are allegations made in the petition and have not been adjudicated by the court.
Objections Raised Over Portrayal of Women and Children
Among the grounds raised, the petitioner alleges that female characters are subjected to verbal abuse, degrading treatment and sexual objectification. The plea invokes Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution and also raises concerns regarding children’s exposure to hyper-violent content.
It further contends that statutory disclaimers describing the programme as fictional cannot, by themselves, address alleged harm caused when real geographical identities and administrative names are used.
The petition refers to the Supreme Court proceedings concerning the web series “Tandav” and also relies on a precedent concerning judicial control over explicit media and streaming platforms.
Legal Notice Sent Before Filing PIL
The petitioner states that she had sent a legal notice on July 25, 2026 before approaching the High Court.
The record annexed with the PIL includes an August 10 communication from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to Amazon Prime Video concerning a complaint against the web series “Mirzapur.” The communication referred to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and asked the platform to examine the grievance and take appropriate action.
Prime Video’s response, also annexed to the petition, maintained that “Mirzapur” is fictional and that disclaimers and content descriptors are provided to viewers. It also stated that the series is rated for adults and referred to parental-control features available on the platform. The response disputed the contention that the series violates the provisions cited by the complainant.
Interim Relief Sought Before September 4 Release
Pending consideration of the PIL, the petitioner has specifically asked the High Court to direct the respondents, particularly Prime Video, to stay the theatrical release, trailers and promotion of “Mirzapur: The Movie” scheduled for September 4, 2026 until the allegedly derogatory references, explicit violence and obscenity are removed.
The petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution as a PIL. The document does not contain any judicial order on the merits of the allegations or indicate that the High Court has granted the interim relief sought.
