Film certification often plays a big role in how movies perform in theatres. A censor rating decides whether a film can be watched by families and younger audiences or only by adults. For large-scale projects with popular stars, the certificate directly affects ticket sales and overall reach.
This issue has now come into focus with Coolie, starring Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Aamir Khan. Produced by Sun Pictures, the film released on August 14. Despite heavy promotions and a star-studded cast, the response at the box office has been below expectations. Now, the producers have approached the Madras High Court over the film’s certification.
Sun TV, which owns Sun Pictures, questioned why Coolie was given an “A” certificate. The company argued that compared to films like KGF and Beast, Coolie contained less violence yet was still limited to adult audiences. They said this rating restricted viewership and hurt the film’s collections.
In court, Senior Advocate J Ravindran, representing Sun TV, argued that the decision was unfair and sought an urgent hearing. On the other side, Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, appearing for the Censor Board, opposed the request. He said the Board had already informed the makers they could secure a “U/A” certificate if further cuts were made, but the producers chose to release the film with an “A” rating. He also questioned the urgency of the plea since the movie had released nearly two weeks ago.
The judge issued notice and posted the case for hearing on August 25.
Recently, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga also spoke about the challenges of certification. He mentioned that all his films so far received “A” ratings and, according to distributors, such certificates reduce revenue because younger audiences are kept away, even if the films later become blockbusters. His comments echo the concerns now raised by Sun TV regarding Coolie.
The court’s decision will be closely watched, as it could influence how big films deal with certification challenges in the future.
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