Patan High Court Grants Interim Order Allowing Screening of Hindi Films in Kathmandu

The Patan High Court has granted an interim order on the petition filed by the Nepali Film Association against the decision of the Kathmandu Metropolis to prohibit the screening of Hindi films within its jurisdiction.

On Thursday, the bench of Patan High Court Judge Dhir Bahadur Chand issued the interim order, effectively overturning the decision made by Balen Shah, the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolis. Advocate Jayalal Bhandari confirmed the court’s ruling, stating that Hindi films can now be screened without any hindrance.

The controversy surrounding the screening of Hindi films in Kathmandu arose when Mayor Balen Shah decided to halt the exhibition of all Indian movies. The mayor had justified his decision by stating that he would not allow Hindi films to be shown until a specific dialogue from the Indian film ‘Adipurush’ was removed. The dialogue in question allegedly refers to Janaki, the mythical princess from the Ramayana, as the daughter of India.

However, both the film’s producer and the Film Censor Board of Nepal have categorically stated that no such dialogue exists in the film. They have assured the authorities that the concerns raised by Mayor Balen Shah are unfounded and based on misinformation.