The Bombay High Court on Thursday pulled up the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for its unexplained delay in certifying Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, a biographical film said to be based on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The court questioned the board’s inaction despite rules mandating time-bound processing of certification requests and the filmmakers opting for a fast-track scheme.
A division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Dr Neela Gokhale was hearing a petition filed by Samrat Cinematics India Pvt Ltd, the producers of the film. The movie is reportedly inspired by Shantanu Gupta’s 2017 book The Monk Who Became Chief Minister, a published biography on Adityanath that has been publicly available for years.
During the hearing, the court expressed concern that the CBFC appeared to be stalling the process. “The application has to be decided. You cannot just sit on it,” the bench remarked, after being informed that the film’s producers had first applied for certification on June 5 but had received no substantive response even after a month.
Under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and the updated Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, the board is required to process such applications within a week and schedule screenings within the next 15 days. Despite this, the petitioners alleged that even after paying triple the regular fee under the CBFC’s “priority scheme,” the screening scheduled for July 7 was abruptly cancelled without explanation.
The producers further alleged that the board had asked them to secure a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office—a requirement they argued has no basis in the existing certification rules. “It is a matter of record that the book which forms the foundation of the film has been officially endorsed by the CMO,” the petition stated, describing the film as a “truthful, respectful, and inspiring portrayal” of a public figure.
The court noted that such delays were “arbitrary, unreasonable, and unexplained,” especially in light of the film’s slated release on August 1 in over 1,500 theatres nationwide. It issued notice to the CBFC and directed it to file its response by Friday.
This is not the first time the matter has come before the high court. A similar plea was disposed of on July 17 after the CBFC assured the court it would decide on certification within two days. With that assurance proving hollow, the producers were compelled to return to court to seek urgent relief.
The court is expected to hear the matter further following the CBFC’s reply.
