In a significant development, the Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a complaint filed by a government official in 2022 against actor Dhanush, director-producer Aishwarya Rajinikanth, and others regarding the inclusion of smoking scenes in the 2014 film Velai Illa Pattadhari (VIP), which was alleged to be in violation of the law.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh quashed the complaint that was lodged under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act of 2003. The court ruled that no offence had been established under Section 5 of the Act.

The complaint had been originally filed with a Metropolitan Magistrate at Saidapet in Chennai, accusing the defendants of contravening Section 5 of the Act, which prohibits the promotion, use, or consumption of cigarettes or any other tobacco products, directly or indirectly, through advertisements across various media platforms.

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