Controversy
Udaipur Files has been mired in controversy due to its depiction of the Kanhaiya Lal murder, with petitioners alleging it promotes hate speech, vilifies the Muslim community, and could prejudice the ongoing trial in a Special NIA Court in Jaipur. [13]
On July 9, 2025, the Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing on a plea by Mohammed Javed, an accused in the murder case, who argued that the film’s release would violate his right to a fair trial by portraying the accused as guilty. [14]
On July 9, the Delhi High Court ordered the producers to arrange a private screening for petitioners, including Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and journalist Prashant Tandon, who sought a permanent ban. [15]
After the screening, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, described the film as “cinematic vandalism” and argued it fueled communal disharmony, citing scenes like a Muslim man throwing meat at a Hindu household and the arrest of Muslim students, which he deemed irrelevant to the core story. [16]
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) countered that it had removed 55 objectionable portions, ensuring the film was not community-specific but focused on the crime. [17]
On July 10, 2025, the Delhi High Court, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal, stayed the film’s release, directing petitioners to file a revision application under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting within two days. [18]
The court ruled that the release would remain stayed until the Central Government decided on the revision, citing concerns about communal harmony and public order, especially with upcoming state elections. [19]
The producers, represented by Advocate Gaurav Bhatia, appealed to the Supreme Court on July 14, arguing the stay violated their freedom of speech and that the CBFC had already approved the film after extensive cuts. [20]
On July 16, 2025, the Supreme Court, led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, deferred the hearing to July 21, expecting a Central Government committee to review the CBFC certification under Section 6. [19]
Following the film's release and its subsequent box-office failure, producer Amit Jani claimed that individuals from Bangladesh were attempting to mislead local audiences and incite violence against him. A threatening remark was reportedly made by a man named Mohammad Shahid, who was later detained by police for questioning. [21]
On August 25, 2025, the Meerut Police arrested four people, including a corporator of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), on charges of burning the film's posters and raising "objectionable slogans." [22]
Reception
Amit Bhatia of ABP News gave the film 3 stars out of 5, remarking that while it didn't quite do justice to the gravity of its subject, Raaz’s performance and the weight of the real-life tragedy made it worth a watch. [24] The Free Press Journal gave the film 2 stars out of 5, calling it a well-intentioned film, while also remarking that it faltered due to the weak screenplay and narration, and criticizing the music and background score. [25]
Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times gave the film 1.5 stars out of 5, finding it unfocused, dabbling in religion, politics, and romance, repeatedly starting subplots only to abandon them, and the production values visibly low. [26] Subhash K Jha of News 24 gave the film 0.5 stars out of 5, labelling it as a one-sided, inflammatory, and highly provocative story, and feeling that the tone and pitch of the storytelling suggested that the entire community was responsible for the crime. [27]
Box office
The film was commercially unsuccessful, earning only ₹1.54 crore as of 16 August. Producer Amit Jani criticized the Hindu community for not supporting the film and accused them of ignoring the film while readily spending money on films like Saiyaara , War 2 , and Coolie. [9]
