In a significant development for Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday declined to order the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to certify the movie.

A division bench comprising Justice BP Colabawalla and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla stated that they could not issue any directive as the Madhya Pradesh High Court had already instructed the CBFC to consider objections to the film before granting certification.

The bench emphasized the need to respect judicial propriety, stating, "If we grant any relief today, it would directly contravene the Madhya Pradesh HC's order, compelling the CBFC to violate another High Court's directive." The court further directed the CBFC to review the objections and make a decision by September 18.

This ruling follows a petition filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, co-producer of Emergency, seeking the film's release and certification. The petition alleged that the CBFC had "arbitrarily and illegally" withheld the censor certificate, despite being prepared to issue it.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier heard petitions from Sikh groups who claimed that the film contains scenes that could hurt religious sentiments and potentially cause unrest. The court had instructed the CBFC to consider these objections before certifying the film.

Originally slated for release on September 6, the release of Emergency has been postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing controversy. Ranaut, who is also a BJP MP, directed, co-produced, and stars in the film as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.