High Court order on ‘Baahubali’ dialogue controversy

The Madurai Bench of a Madras High Court has ordered to remove a controversial dialogue in the film that allegedly offends the Arunthathiyar community.

The usage of the term ‘Pagadaikku Pirandhavan’ in a particular dialogue towards the end of the war sequence of the mega budget fantasy entertainer has been considered as demeaning the Aruntathiyar community. Several weeks ago, fringe groups hurled petrol bombs at theatres screening he film in Madurai district after which Madhan Karky, the dialogue writer of the Tamil version came up with an explanation letter stating that the term ‘Pagadai’ was used to refer the game of gambling and he did not know that the term is also used to denote a particular community. He had also assured that the particular dialogue will be removed soon.

However the controversial dialogue is yet to be removed from the film which has crossed five weeks in theatres across the world. Hence a group of parties and organizations representing the community had filed a case against the film’s producer, director and dialogue writer.

Now the court has now ordered the Censor board to send a notification to all theatres screening the film to remove the particular dialogue and take penal action on theatres which do not comply with the order.