Earlier this week, the Supreme Court intervened in the controversy surrounding the "unofficial ban" imposed by the Karnataka government on the release of Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life following public outrage over his remarks over Kannada language. A bench comprising Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan strongly criticised the ban, emphasising that mob rule cannot dictate censorship in a democracy.
The court observed that once the Censor Board has cleared a film, state governments cannot arbitrarily prohibit its screening under the pretext of maintaining law and order. Haasan co-wrote the film with its director Mani Ratnam.
The controversy brings us back to the now increasingly familiar question— can and should the clash between free speech and public outrage in a democracy ever be settled by mob rule? The court said it cannot. But the increasing trend of vigilante censorship, where films are unofficially banned, comedians harassed, and artists forced into self-censorship, sets a dangerous precedent.