In a bid to block what it calls an incendiary and divisive narrative, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind has approached the Delhi High Court, urging an immediate ban on the upcoming film Udaipur Files—a dramatization of the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan’s Udaipur.
Scheduled to release on July 11, the film has already ignited controversy. According to the petition, the trailer alone is enough to sound the alarm. It claims the promo portrays the Muslim community in a damning light, suggesting that community leaders played a role in the killing. The petitioner argues that such framing could drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims and pose a grave threat to public order.
Calling the film a “highly provocative work,” the plea says it violates the constitutional right of Muslims to live with dignity. It alleges the movie deliberately distorts reality, weaponizing a sensitive national tragedy to sow discord.
The petition doesn’t stop at concerns over the murder narrative. It also points to the film’s reference to the ongoing Gyanvapi Masjid legal battle—still pending before both the Varanasi District Court and the Supreme Court—as another trigger point. Furthermore, it flags a scene that revives the now-infamous remarks by a BJP spokesperson that led to international backlash and communal unrest.
Perhaps the most explosive allegation in the petition? A claim that the movie includes scenes showing Muslim clerics engaging in sexual acts with minors—imagery the petitioner says crosses every legal and ethical line. The plea contends that such content cloaked under “artistic freedom” is nothing more than hate speech in disguise.
“Expression cannot become a wrecking ball for the nation’s moral and constitutional core,” it states, demanding that the court intervene before the situation spirals.
The petition names not just the film’s director and producer, but also its distributor—Reliance Entertainment—and tech giants including Google, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter), holding them responsible for enabling the trailer’s circulation.
It seeks a court directive to pull down the trailer from digital platforms and to block the movie’s release altogether.
The matter is expected to come up for hearing on July 9.
