Audience need not stand when national anthem is played as part of the film

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has clarified that the audience need not stand when the National Anthem is played as a part of the storyline of a film, newsreel or documentary.

“It is clarified that when the National Anthem is played as a part of the storyline of a film, newsreel or a documentary, the audience need not stand,” A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi said and fixed April 18 as date for further hearing.

The Supreme Court court had in response to the PIL on November 30 last year ordered cinema halls across the nation to mandatorily play the National Anthem before screening of a movie and the audience must stand and show respect.