NANDINI TEWARI Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India filed as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeks a direction to the respondents Union of India and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the private respondents "not to release the movie "Finding Fanny" on 12th September, 2014" and a further direction to the private respondents, being the Director and Producer of the said film, to delete the word "Fanny" from everywhere it appears in the film including from the posters and banners of the film, on the ground that the dictionary meaning of the word "fanny" is "woman's genitals" and the use of the word "Fanny" in the film will hurt the feelings of citizens of India especially immature brain of minor children.

(2.) We have heard the counsel for the petitioners and the learned ASG appearing on advance notice.

(3.) The petitioners, in support of the ground on which the reliefs are sought, rely on the meaning of the word "fanny" in New Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Indian Edition as "British vulgar slang for a woman's genitals". However, the same Dictionary also gives the meaning understood of the said word informally in Britain (i.e. not in slang) as "mess around and waste time" and informally in America as "a person's buttocks". The petitioners also rely on the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary and The Free Dictionary by Farlex and which give the same meaning as in the Oxford Dictionary. Alas! No Indian meaning is given.