KAHTMANDU: The Patan High Court has issued an interim order to stop the promotion of the upcoming film ‘Laaj Sharam’ on social media and other media platforms. A joint bench of Justices Lal Bahadur Kunwar and Hemant Rawal passed the order on Tuesday while hearing a case filed by former minister Mohammad Aftab Alam.

Alam filed a writ petition alleging that the film uses facial features, attire, body language, hairstyle, gestures, and mannerisms closely resembling his own without his permission. He requested that the promotion of the film be stopped. Alam named the Film Development Board as the defendant in the case.

In its ruling, the court stated, “Since it appears that the Central Film Censorship Board can withhold permission if the petitioner’s constitutional rights are violated, as per Section 8 (3) of the relevant Act, the court has issued an interim order prohibiting the advertisement of ‘Laaj Sharam’ in which a character closely resembling the petitioner appears. This applies to social media, public media, and the publication or broadcasting of related promotional material.”

The film, produced by JPT Creation, is scheduled to be released on Shivaratri, February 14. The producer had planned to release the trailer on Wednesday, but the court’s order now impacts the film’s publicity efforts.