Madras High Court reserves verdict on ‘Coolie’ movie certification dispute
Madras High Court reserves verdict on Sun TV's plea seeking UA certificate for Coolie, as CBFC defends 'A' rating citing intense violence and content.
According to the reports in Live Law, The Madras High Court has reserved its verdict on a plea by Sun TV Network challenging the ‘A’ certificate issued to Coolie, starring Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Uppendra, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Aamir Khan and others.
Sun Pictures sought a UA certificate, arguing that the film depicts only moderate violence compared to films like KGF and Beast, and emphasized freedom of expression. They claimed the violence shown reflects the life of a coolie and is not glorified.
However, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) defended the ‘A’ rating, citing frequent and intense violence, gruesome killings, smoking, drinking, and occasional bad language. The board stated that both the examining and revising committees unanimously agreed on the ‘A’ certificate.
The Additional Solicitor General representing CBFC argued that filmmakers were offered a UA certificate with cuts, which they refused, and that the decision considered the general public’s perspective, especially children. Justice TV Thamilselvi has reserved the final order after hearing both sides.
Coolie maintained its strong momentum into the second weekend, grossing an impressive 460 crore (approx.) worldwide. In Tamil Nadu, the film has emerged as Rajinikanth’s second-highest grosser, collecting over 130 crore (approx.) as of August 24th. With no major releases lined up for the next 10 days and the Vinayagar Chathurthi holiday falling this Wednesday, all eyes are on how Coolie will perform during its third week and weekend run.
