Delhi High Court  has lifted the ban on the broadcasting of the song Mehngai from the  Movie Chakravyuh.
A day back it had stayed the release of the song upon a complaint filed by the shoemaker Bata.
A division bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Manmohan Singh stayed the high court’s single-judge bench order, which had restrained Jha from releasing the song ‘Mehngai’ with the name of leading shoe manufacturer Bata.
The division bench stayed the single judge’s restraint order saying “in the contextual setting of the movies the song is not defamatory”. “The movie raised the burning social issues like disparity in wealth, fight of value and thought……..to bring out the public debate. We do not find that in the contextual setting or background of the movie the song or its stanza is defamatory and be prima facie derogatory to Bata,” the bench said. “We are inclined to stay the operation of impugned order,” the bench added and posted the matter for November 7 for further hearing on it.
The film Chakravyuh is scheduled to be released on Dusserhara (24th October). Its poupular number on “mehngai” mentions various leading industrialists including Bata in it. The song talks about the skyrocketing prices and unequal distribution of wealth in society.
The Bata group had objected to the usage of its name in the lyrics. The single judge had on October 15 restrained the film makers from releasing the song “mehngai” after a defamation suit filed by Bata India Ltd objecting to the use of its name in the lyrics. Film director Jha today challenged the single judge’s order before a division bench against the stay on the release of song.