The Central Board of Film Certification has refused to pass a documentary about farmers’ opposition to Coca Cola bottling plants, claiming that “the film more than education, is misleading and political motive [sic]. Hence the film is not passed in its present form.” The decision raises old questions about whether it is the role of the CBFC to evaluate the political validity of films placed before it.

Charlie and the Coca Cola Company is focused on two plants in Mehdiganj, north-eastern Uttar Pradesh. In 2004, farmers protested against the over-extraction of groundwater there, at close to zero cost, and its effects on the area’s water table.

Police cracked down on the protests, allegedly on the behest of the corporation.