SC refuses to ban or rename ‘Yadav ji ki love story’, clears release

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a plea seeking a ban or title change of the upcoming Hindi film Yadav Ji ki Love Story , holding that the title does not portray the Yadav community in a negative or derogatory manner.

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the petition filed by the chief of the Vishwa Yadav Parishad after examining the material placed on record. The petitioner had alleged that the film’s title created an offensive stereotype against the Yadav community and harmed its social standing. Additional objections were raised regarding the depiction of the female lead and the storyline, which involves an inter-community romantic relationship.

Rejecting the arguments, Justice Nagarathna observed that the title contained no derogatory or negative expression that could attach a stigma to the community. The bench described the apprehensions as “wholly unfounded” and ruled that none of the reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution, which permit limitations on freedom of speech and expression, were attracted.

The court distinguished the present case from its earlier order in the matter concerning the film Ghooskhor Pandat , in which it had directed a change of title because the word “ghooskhor,” meaning corrupt, carried a negative connotation. In contrast, the bench held that the title Yadav Ji ki Love Story did not associate the community with any adverse or defamatory attribute.

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that while they did not oppose inter-community marriages, the portrayal of the woman in the film was unacceptable, particularly as the movie claimed to be inspired by a true story. The bench, however, remained unconvinced and categorised the film as a work of fiction , finding no legal basis to intervene.

The film, directed by Ankit Bhadana and produced by Sandeep Tomar, stars Pragati Tiwari and Vishal Mohan in the lead roles and is scheduled for nationwide release on February 27 .