Why did this Kishore Kumar biography win the ‘Best Book on Cinema’ award? Patna HC asks Centre

Two years after ‘Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography’ received the ‘Best Book on Cinema’ award at the National Film Awards, the choice has come under legal scrutiny in the Patna High Court.

The biography, written by Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Parthiv Dhar and published by HarperCollins, was selected for the honour at the 70th National Film Awards. The award was announced on August 16, 2024.

A petition filed in the Patna High Court has questioned whether the prescribed eligibility criteria were followed while selecting the book for the award.

Patna HC seeks explanation from Centre

Justice Ajit Kumar heard the matter on Thursday and issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

According to an Indian Express report, the two authorities have been asked to explain the process through which the biography was selected as the Best Book on Indian cinema.

The petition has put the focus on the guidelines that governed the selection process for the 70th National Film Awards.

What does the petition allege?

The plea was reportedly filed by Anant Prasad Sinha, a Hindi writer and literary critic. He has sought the quashing of the honour awarded to the Kishore Kumar biography.

The book was presented with the award at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on October 8, 2024.

Sinha's petition refers to a notification issued on August 7, 2024, shortly before the awards were announced. According to the plea, the notification laid down eligibility criteria and guidelines for selecting the Best Book on Cinema.

The petitioner has alleged that these guidelines were not followed while choosing the Kishore Kumar biography for the honour.

Centre gets three weeks to respond

Following the petition, the High Court issued notices to the MIB and NFDC seeking their response to the allegations.

“At this stage, Senior Panel Counsel for the Union of India seeks three weeks’ time to file a specific counter-affidavit addressing the grievances raised by this petitioner,” the bench was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

The matter will now proceed after the Centre responds to the allegations raised in the petition.