The Supreme Court gave a rousing welcome to an unusual guest on Friday as Bollywood actor Aamir Khan attended the afternoon session proceedings, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, at Courtroom 1.
While judges and dignitaries from other countries have often found place in the CJI’s court to observe court proceedings, this was probably the first time in the history when someone from the country’s tinsel town found his way to the galleys of the Apex Court.
However, Khan did not come to the top court of the country just to watch the lawyers show off their argumentative skills. He was invited as a special guest for the screening of Laapata Ladies, along with Director of the movie, Kiran Rao.
CJI Chandrachud welcomed Khan, who was seated in the front row, to witness the post-lunch proceedings.
In a light-hearted tone, the CJI said he did not want a stampede in the court, but Aamir Khan was in the Court for the screening of Laapata Ladies. Kiran Rao would be joining the gathering shortly, he added.
Attorney General (AG) for India R Venkataramani quipped that it was a star-studded court today.
Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi remarked in a lighter vein that he was sure the AG was referring to the lordship.
Khan and Rao reached the Apex Court premises today to attend a screening of the movie produced by them.
The Communication Division of the Supreme Court organised the screening of the Hindi movie Laapataa Ladies for all the judges of the Supreme Court, their spouses, and members of the Registry on Friday.
The blockbuster movie would be screened at the auditorium of the Apex Court’s administrative building complex.
The idea for the initiative came from CJI’s wife, Kalpana Das, after she and her staff watched the film.
The CJI said on the occasion that the initiative was part of his emphasis on year-round gender sensitisation programme at the Supreme Court. He added that the event would also help the Apex Court members to bond over with each other.
As per CJI Chandrachud, a lot of things were happening in the Supreme Court, which were not publicised. He said the Supreme Court has a round-the-clock Ayurvedic clinic for the treatment and relaxation of Supreme Court staff members.
Laapata Ladies garnered rave reviews on March 1, 2024, when it was released theatrically. The film was screened at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2023.
Kiran Rao’s directorial venture debuted on Netflix in April this year and within six weeks, it garnered a record 15.7 million views, making it one of the most-watched Bollywood movies on the OTT platform. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.