Delhi HC rejects medical professional's PIL against Sunny Deol's 'Suryaa'
What's the story
The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition that sought to have objectionable scenes and dialogues removed from Sunny Deol's upcoming film Suryaa. The petition, filed by Dhruv Chauhan, a medical professional serving as the National Spokesperson of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), and Nachiketa Bhatia, Vice President of the Legal Cell for All India Doctors, had raised concerns over the portrayal of widespread corruption in healthcare establishments and physical violence against doctors in the movie's teaser.
Legal proceedings
Similar petition already filed by medical fraternity: HC
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma noted that the medical fraternity had already filed a similar petition, which is pending before a single-judge bench.
The court stated, "We see no reason to entertain the PIL, as the issue has already been looked into at the behest of the doctor fraternity."
Petition details
Petitioners claimed teaser shows healthcare corruption, justifies violence against doctors
In their petition, Bhatia and Chauhan argued that the film's official teaser features dialogues alleging unnecessary diagnostic tests, financial exploitation of patients through excessive billing, and commission-driven prescriptions.
They claimed that the teaser portrays medical practitioners as exploiting patients through inflated bills and unnecessary investigations.
"These expressions lend an apparent claim of factual authenticity to the narrative and suggest that the alleged practices depicted in the film reflect broader realities of the healthcare system."
Concerns raised
Petitioners expressed concerns over public confidence in healthcare institutions
The petitioners argued that the portrayal of systemic corruption in the medical profession and the alleged glorification of violence against healthcare professionals call for examination by the competent statutory authorities.
They expressed concerns over its potential implications for public confidence in healthcare institutions and the safety of medical personnel.
Additional demands
Petitioners sought stay on film's public screening
The petitioners also sought to stay the film's public screening on an ad interim ex parte basis until the statutory examination was completed.
They had asked the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to examine Suryaa and modify or delete scenes and dialogues they considered objectionable.
Meanwhile, the film releases on November 20.