The ZEE5 documentary, initially titled Lawrence of Punjab, may finally get a release, weeks after it was stalled due to a legal case against it. The show, based on the rise of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was not released as scheduled in April, after the Centre admitted there were law-and-order concerns if it were streamed.
Remove Lawrence and Punjab from title
On Monday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the Centre’s advisory against its release, issuing directions to its makers to remove references to “Lawrence” and “Punjab” from its title. The directions came on a plea by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, which had challenged the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s advisory.
The petitioner’s counsel, Amit Jhanji, said that neither “Lawrence Bishnoi” nor “Punjab” would be used in the title of the docu-series, thus paving the way for its release.
The High Court also watched the docuseries and observed in its ruling that it did not appear to glorify any individual.
What was the controversy
Lawrence of Punjab was set to release on ZEE5 on April 27. But days before its release, it courted controversy after Punjab Advocate General M S Bedi opposed its release, contending that it could negatively influence youth by normalising organised crime. This followed a case filed by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, seeking a ban on it.
During the case, the Centre issued an advisory against releasing the docu-series, citing the Punjab Police’s apprehension that it posed a significant risk to public order. The Ministry of I&B noted the potential for such content to evoke strong public reactions and said that the release of the series was likely to heighten tensions and pose adverse law-and-order implications.
It had further pointed out that the Punjab Police has informed that the content contains dramatised portrayals, real-life footage and narrative elements which lead to the glorification and amplification of organised crime and criminal elements.
About Lawrence of Punjab and Lawrence Bishnoi
According to the makers of the show, it “traces the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems and visibility” and treats Bishnoi as a case study in the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology and media amplification. Lawrence Bishnoi, a Punjab-based gangster, who first made national news after planning hits on Bollywood superstar Salman Khan over his alleged role in the blackbuck poaching case from the 90s. The show’s original title was a play on the Oscar-winning classic Lawrence of Arabia.