“Have a thick skin”: SC dismisses plea to ban Yadav Ji Ki Love Story, calls objections “baseless”

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea seeking a ban or change in the title of the upcoming Bollywood film Yadav Ji Ki Love Story, observing that the name does not portray the Yadav community in a negative light. Dismissing the writ petition, the bench said apprehensions raised by the petitioner were “wholly unfounded” and reiterated that the film is a work of fiction.

A bench comprising Justices B. V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan examined the material on record and noted that the principal grievance was that the title allegedly tarnished the image of the Yadav community. The Court, however, said it failed to understand how the title could be construed as derogatory, pointing out that it contains no adjective or expression casting the community in a bad light. It further clarified that the reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution were not attracted in the present case.

Distinguishing the matter from its earlier order in the “Ghuskhor Pandit” case, the bench observed that the word “ghuskhor” translates to “corrupt” and carried a clear negative connotation. In contrast, the title in question did not attach any such adverse meaning to the Yadav community. “The name in no way portrays the community in a bad light,” the Court stated while dismissing the petition.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that the film had not yet been released and sought liberty to approach the Court again if anything objectionable emerged post-release. The bench responded, “Have a thick skin. It is fiction. It will all be over in a week. Nowadays, no one goes to theatres; everyone watches on mobile phones.” The Court maintained that mere apprehensions cannot justify prior restraint on a film’s exhibition.

The counsel also argued that the portrayal of the female character was objectionable and clarified that the petitioners were not opposed to inter-community marriages. When it was submitted that the makers claimed the film was based on a real story, the bench referred to the Bandit Queen case, noting that similar objections had been raised then as well but the Court had declined to intervene. The order underscored that a film’s title or exhibition cannot be curtailed solely on sensitivities unless constitutional restrictions clearly apply.