The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday cleared the way for the release of a documentary planned for streaming on ZEE5, but not without conditions. The court directed the makers to change the title and remove references to “Lawrence” and “Punjab” from the series name as well as from all promotional content, including trailers and posters.
The decision came while hearing a petition filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, which had challenged an advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The advisory had asked the OTT platform not to release a documentary reportedly based on alleged gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
During the hearing, Justice Jagmohan Bansal noted that the court had already watched the documentary as part of the proceedings. After reviewing the content, the judge said that, at first glance, the series did not appear to glorify any individual. However, the court felt that certain changes were necessary before it could be made available to viewers.
The documentary was earlier expected to be released under the title “Lawrence of Punjab.” The court made it clear that the title must be changed and that the names “Lawrence Bishnoi” and “Punjab” should not be used in the series title or any promotional material when the documentary is released.
The Punjab government opposed the release of the documentary in its current form. Punjab Advocate-General Maninderjit Singh Bedi argued that the series could end up glorifying a gangster. He also informed the court that the state had taken action against online content that promotes criminal figures.
According to the state government, more than 2,600 social media videos and posts linked to gangster glorification had already been removed following earlier directions of the high court. Bedi also referred to separate proceedings before another bench of the court related to an alleged jail interview of Bishnoi.
On the other hand, Zee Entertainment argued that the advisory issued by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry lacked a proper legal basis. The company maintained that no specific legal provision had been invoked while asking the platform to stop the documentary from being released.
The petitioners were represented by senior advocate Amit Jhanji along with advocates Samir Rathaur, Nitin Sharma and Angad Makkar. Representing the Union government were Additional Solicitor-General Satya Pal Jain and senior panel counsel Dheeraj Jain.
With the court’s order now in place, the documentary can move forward toward release on ZEE5, provided the makers comply with the directions regarding the title and promotional material. The ruling is seen as an attempt to balance creative freedom with concerns about public sensitivity and the possible glorification of criminal figures.