Plea says “Leo” movie glorifies violence, Madras High Court seeks director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s reply [Read Writ Petition]

Madurai: In a rather strange move, a petition has been filed before the Madras High Court seeking to revoke the censor certificate for the blockbuster Vijay-starrer, “Leo” stating that the movie is loaded with violence and gruesome acts. 

And, the Madras High Court’s Madurai bench on Thursday directed filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj to respond to the plea. 

Parthiban (Vijay), a simple café-owner, antagonizes various skirmishes to protect his family, as the Sanjay Dutt and his brother Arjun believe sturdily Parthiban is Leo. What forms the crux of the story is who emerges successful in the final battle: Sanjay Dutt and Arjun versus Vijay. 

With this, the plea moved by Advocate KH Raja Murugan, also seeks to register an FIR against the movie’s director, Lokesh Kanagaraj and his team under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. The reason: to investigate the inner reason for advertising violence as a good act and punish them for being conspirators for many crimes that happened in city. The plea alleges that many people got inspired by seeing the different problematic ideas in the movie. 

After watching the movie, the petitioner states that he was totally disturbed and seeks a compensation of Rs. 50,000. 

“….and the director seemed to take movies that glorifies the violence that he shows in the movie and all sections of the Indian Penal Code, almost 80 percent sections could be applicable to his movies where killing of mass people, drugs, alcohol, harassment of women, children, killing of women and men with cruelty and violence, use of violent and powerful weapons like knife, iron rod, normal to powerful guns and making of explosives at home, teaching the accused to change name and travel to different state and live a different life, crime on religion by using different religion symbols and names there by creating contradictory opinions with people…..” 

The plea alleges that the movie is neither educative nor entertaining to watch. Instead, it is encouraging and educating the young people about the drugs, weapons, different ways to kill men, women, children and makes these punishable offences a fashionable one. 

“This all shows the director could also be a psychopath of killing women as he glorifies in all the movies the killing of women a must”, the plea states. 
The plea also seeks to ensure the proper implementation of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act and the Tamil Nadu (Compulsory Censorship of Film Publicity Materials) Act.

[Writ Petition]