Fans are patiently waiting for Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7. However, it seems that the reality show has landed itself in legal soup. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the state and central governments, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Star Maa channel, actor Nagarjuna and Endemol India on Thursday after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed against alleged obscenity scenes in the reality show.
The high court has expressed its dissatisfaction with the current situation and said that filing a complaint after the show is broadcasted is akin to a post-mortem examination which is serving little purpose. The high court bench, comprising Justice U Durga Prasad Rao and Justice P Venkata Jyothirmai, also emphasised the need for a regulatory mechanism to censor such objectionable content and also urged to address the issue.
The president of Telugu Yuva Shakti, Ketireddy Jagadeeswar Reddy and a film producer filed two PIL petitions, claiming that the Bigg Boss Telugu was aired without any censorship, a rendering which is not suitable for children to watch. Arguing on behalf of the petitioners, advocate G Shiva Prasad Reddy pointed out that any show containing adult content should be broadcasted between 11 pm and 5 am.
C Raghu, who is the senior counsel of Endemol, argued that the Bigg Boss Telugu was no longer being aired which makes the petitions irrelevant. The senior counsel, CV Mohan Reddy representing Star India Maa also stressed that there is no provision for pre-telecast censorship. He urged viewers to raise complaints if they have any grievances.
Mohan Reddy also suggested that if the show needed pre-telecast censorship then the Central government should legislate accordingly. He also cited the freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Constitution which also applies to television shows and said that the viewers who find the content objectionable can simply change the channel.
Hearing the arguments, the Andhra High Court highlighted the potential danger to societal moral values if the TV channels began telecasting obscene content under the guise of freedom of expression. The court also remarked that it will examine the matter within its purview and may direct the centre to implement necessary steps for content regulation, recognising that addressing the issue after the show’s airing holds limited value.
The high court has scheduled the next hearing for the PIL after four weeks.
Meanwhile, Nagarjuna who will be hosting the show for the fifth time has hinted at many changes in the upcoming season in the promo video. The rumour mills have speculated the list of contestants with names like singer Mohana Bhogaraju, Shweta Naidu, actress Shobha Shetty, Amardeep and Tejaswini, Surekha Vani, You Anchor Deepika Pilli, Durga Rao Kapoor and singer Saket.
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