Petition against release of KGF2 dismissed by K’taka HC

The High Court of Karnataka has dismissed a petition against the release of the film KGF Chapter 2 as the matter had become infructuous.

The petition was filed before the movie’s release for allegedly glorifying smoking and not displaying social concern. The High Court on Tuesday said that since the movie was already released there were no grounds for considering the petition now. The film was released on April 14.

The Cancer Patients Aid Association and Verve Foundation Trust had filed the public interest litigation against the Central Board of Film Certification, Health and Family Welfare Department, Hombale Films, Prashant Neel, the director of the film, Yash, the lead actor and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.

It was claimed that the trailer of the film showed smoking as stylish and a healthy social habit and also amounted to surrogate advertising. The petition claimed actor Yash has a huge following and it was his moral and social obligation not to promote tobacco products.

The PIL was heard on Tuesday by the division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Ashok S Kinagi.