'Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi', is yet another film caught in the crossfire of the Censor board, producers and petitions. The production house ‘Samrat Cinematics India Pvt. Ltd , makers of the movie have filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) alleging undue delay by the board in granting certification for their movie, which is slated for nationwide theatrical release on August 1, 2025.

Pursuant to this, the High Court has directed the CBFC to respond to the petition by July 17, the next date of the hearing.

The film is inspired by the book 'The Monk Who Became Chief Minister', which is purportedly based on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s life. The presiding bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Neela Gokhale issued notice to the CBFC after its official present in the Court requested time to engage a legal counsel.

During the hearing, the Court orally remarked that the CBFC is legally bound to issue certifications within the time limits prescribed by law and “cannot shy away” from fulfilling that statutory obligation.

In its plea, Samrat Cinematics challenged what it described as an "arbitrary and unexplained delay" by the CBFC in processing the certification applications for not just the main film but also its teaser, trailer, and a promotional song.

According to the petition, the CBFC has failed to act in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the newly enacted Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.

The highlight of the petition was the grievance raised by the petitioner regarding CBFC’s alleged insistence on obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office which , according to the petition, has no basis in the Cinematograph Act, 1952 or the Cinematograph (Certification ) Rules, 2024.

"It is pertinent to note that such an erroneous requirement / request is not only extremely prejudicial to the professional interests of the Petitioner but also detrimental to its financial interests. Further, an irrational, unreasonable and illegal demand / requirement being put forward by CBFC for obtaining a NOC from the CMO’s office is nothing but a ploy to delay the release of the motion picture 'Ajey', that too when the same is due for theatrical release on August 1st, 2025," the petition states.

According to the petition, the application for certification of the film was first submitted on June 5, 2025. Under Rule 37 of the 2024 Certification Rules. The CBFC is required to scrutinize applications within seven days and refer the film for screening within fifteen days. However, the CBFC allegedly failed to act for almost a month.

In an attempt to expedite the process, the filmmakers reapplied under the priority certification scheme on July 3, paying three times the normal fee as permitted under Rule 33(2), based on advice given by CBFC officials. A screening was scheduled for July 7, but was cancelled at the last moment, on July 6, with no further communication from the Board.

On July 12, when the petitioner checked the online status of their application, it was shown as “Incomplete”, accompanied by a vague instruction to “Provide Documentary Evidence”, but without clarifying which documents were allegedly missing.

The petition states that this conduct has caused grave commercial and reputational harm. The producers claim to have already incurred over ₹30 crore in pre-release expenditure and anticipate another ₹10 crore in the lead-up to the film's release.

The filmmakers emphasized that the movie is a respectful, fact-based adaptation of The Monk Who Became Chief Minister by Shantanu Gupta, a book that has been widely circulated since its publication in 2017, and is available in twelve languages.

The book, they point out, has even received official endorsement from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office,

They further argue that the CBFC's actions amount to a violation of their fundamental rights, particularly those enshrined under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression), 19(1)(g) (right to practice any profession), and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution of India.

The petitioners have urged the Court to direct the CBFC to process and certify the film within five days, as per the timelines under the priority certification scheme. They have also sought an immediate rescheduling of the film's screening.

The petitioner was represented by Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam, along with advocates Satatya Anand, Nikhil Aradhe, Aakash Sinha, Arjun Aggarwal, and Vrinda Bagaria.

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