What was meant to be a courtroom comedy has turned into a courtroom battle. Jolly LLB 3, the third installment in the popular franchise, is facing growing resistance from lawyers across the country.
After Bombay advocates petitioned the CBFC to block the films release, voices from Delhi have joined in. Senior advocate AP Singh, best known for representing clients in controversial cases, has demanded a ban, calling the film demeaning to the profession.
We are not comedians. We are officers of the court. This movie reduces us to a laughing stock, Singh told reporters, insisting that the trailer alone was proof of disrespect.
The Pune Spark
The storm began earlier this month when a Pune-based lawyer filed a Public Interest Litigation, asking for a stay on the film. A local court went a step further and issued summons to actors Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi, along with director Subhash Kapoor. That one order has snowballed into a national flashpoint, pitting lawyers pride against the principle of artistic freedom.
The Larger Question
Critics are asking whether courts should even be entertaining such petitions. With over four crore cases pending across India, is it wise to spend time over a movie trailer? Some legal experts say this is part of a rising trend where PILs are filed not in the public interest but in personal interest, often to generate headlines or pressure filmmakers into settlements.
Meanwhile, the film industry is watching closely. For Bollywood, the case is a litmus test: can satire survive without being dragged to court? For the legal fraternity, it is a matter of image and respect.
At the heart of it all lies a simple irony: a film that set out to poke fun at the system may have ended up holding a mirror to it. With the case now posted for hearing in October, Jolly LLB 3 has already stirred a serious trial outside the script.