MUMBAI: The film industry has reacted to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry?s directive to move the screening of the controversial film Dirty Picture to a late night slot on television.

Sony, the Hindi general entertainment channel that was to telecast the movie in the afternoon and primetime night slot, has deferred the screening due to the I&B?s directive as it feels that the late slot would cut down on its advertising revenue potential.

Protesting against the I&B?s decision, noted filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt said: "I feel that that this would lead to a lot of chaos because this brings to the fore a lot of uncertainty. People in the industry need to know whether the Censor Board or the I&B Ministry decides which film is healthy or not for the audience. I think this should be made clear or then all future films for TV viewing will fall in such kind of jeopardy."

It so happened that a circular was sent by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry to Sony, which was to show the film, saying that the U/A-certified movie could not be beamed before 11 pm.

Commented Balaji Motion Pictures distribution and acquisition head Girish Johar, "We are shocked at the Government?s undoing. How can they do this to a film that has been awarded with three National awards. It is definitely a bad precedent."

The I&B Ministry?s action came after the Allahabad bench of the Lucknow High Court, hearing on a PIL, directed the Centre to ensure that no law is violated by the telecast of Dirty Picture by Sony TV channel on 22 April.

MUMBAI: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Centre to ensure that no law is violated when the Vidya Balan starrer Dirty Picture is telecast on Max channel on 22 April.

The directives were given by a division bench comprising Justices Umanath Singh and V K Dixit on a PIL filed by a lawyer Saurabh Shanker who had said that since Dirty Picture was an adult film, it should not be shown during the prime time. The court?s directive comes after it accepted the PIL.

Shanker had pleaded that he had no objection on the screening of the film, but it should not be made during the prime time. "The film can be telecast during the watershed hours between 2300 hrs and 0400 hrs," he said while citing the case of TV shows like ?Big Boss? and ?Sach Ka Samna?. He observed that telecast of adult film in the prime time was violation of the Cable TV Act.

Later, the Court disposed of the PIL after directing the Centre to ensure that no law is violated by screening the film.