The Madras High Court recently rejected a petition requesting that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) refrain from certifying the forthcoming Tamil film Bad Girl.
Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed the petition, citing a statement from the CBFC that no application for the movie’s certification had been received as of that time. The court further noted that the CBFC was fully capable of carrying out its duties and would process any application for censorship in accordance with the law.
During the hearing, M. Rajesh Vivekananthan, the Deputy Solicitor General of India, clarified that no such film or certification request had been submitted. As a result, the petitioner’s request could not be considered at that time. The court also emphasized that the CBFC had the authority to assess the film and make a decision based on legal guidelines.
This petition was filed by the President of the Rashtriya Sanadhana Seva Sangam, an organization dedicated to promoting unity and support for economically disadvantaged communities, particularly Brahmins. The association argued that certain recent Tamil films had depicted the Brahmin community in a derogatory manner, through dialogues, scenes, and storylines that negatively portrayed them. They claimed that Bad Girl was one such film, where the protagonist, a Brahmin, was depicted as succumbing to modern social vices and exhibiting immoral behavior.
The organization alleged that the film’s director, Vetrimaran, intended to tarnish the reputation of the Brahmin community by falsely portraying the corruption of its culture and values. They also pointed out that the movie’s teaser had led to significant controversy on social media and television, further fueling debates about its negative portrayal of the Brahmin community.
The petitioners contended that the CBFC had the authority to deny certification to a film that disparaged any race, religion, or social group. They argued that since the teaser itself appeared to defame the Brahmin community, the CBFC should refuse certification for the film. The organization had submitted a formal request to the CBFC on 30 January 2025, asking for the film to be withheld from certification, but with no response received, they decided to take the matter to the High Court.
Bad Girl
The teaser of the film Bad Girl was released on 26 January 2025. Presented by filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vetri Maaran, the movie is penned and helmed by Varsha Bharath. The teaser introduces us to a young woman, portrayed by Anjali Sivaraman, who candidly shares her long-held desire to have a boyfriend. It then takes us back to her high school days, tracing a journey many young women may find familiar. As she navigates the challenges of puberty and the complex emotions it brings, her openness about her feelings provokes harsh judgment. Male classmates ridicule her, branding her with labels, while her female friends dismissively call her “desperate.” In college, when she enters a relationship, she faces the stark realities of a deeply ingrained “misogynistic” society.
Vetrimaaran produces Bad Girl under the Grass Root Film Company banner. Now this might look like an ordinary teaser release but when we examine the contents of the teaser, we realise it is yet another Dravidian anti-Brahmin propaganda film that is set to “delight” the ever-hungry Dravidianist’s appetite for such content.
The teaser introduces a Tamil Brahmin girl who is a rebel, defies societal expectations of being the “good girl” as she seeks to break free from the constraints of the usual trope of “Brahminical patriarchy“, and since this film is from the Dravidianist ideologue’s soil, it needs to show her embracing the identity of a modern, liberated woman. The final shot in the teaser shows the 2020 scenes of Thaali bajao during the Covid pandemic which has also been “meticulously” shot with precision to highlight those deemed regressive – Brahmins who are shown performing rituals with traditional symbols like the naamam.
(With inputs from Live Law)
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