Mumbai, Dec. 26: Cable operators are planning to move a higher bench against a Bombay High Court order banning adult films on television.

The order, issued on December 21 and reiterating a former order, said cable operators would be required to ban any film that had adult content, which could be defined as such according to the censorship act. The PIL that led to the order also wants all foreign films being aired on television to be certified by the Indian censor board.

Although issued in Mumbai, the order would affect television operations across India, as all major TV channels are simultaneously available in the entire country.

Roop Sharma, who heads the Delhi-based All India Cable Operators’ Association, said her organisation would move Bombay High Court. She said there was little that cable operators could do to block programmes.

Sharma added that she has written a strong letter to the information and broadcasting ministry, complaining that the solicitor-general did not inform the court of a self-regulatory industry body formed recently to look into such issues.

“The ministry constituted a 30-member committee in November to review programming and advertisements on all channels. The court should have been informed of this,” said Sharma, who is a member of the panel.

Sharma also has the support of the Film Producers’ Guild, a heavyweight organisation that has Yash Chopra, Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt as members.

“Mahesh Bhatt has already expressed his support personally,” said Sharma.

Other cable operators are divided on the issue. Not all of them are taking it seriously.

“It’s important, but it’s not fatal to our business,” says Raj Pathare, a franchisee of Wincable in Juhu.

The ban, he said, would be very difficult to implement. A cable operator would not have the technology to block a programme for only a few hours.

“Besides, how would he know where adult content was lurking in the numerous signals that he was receiving at his end?” he asked.

Pathare added that for the MSO, too, it would be very expensive to invest in equipment that would make possible the detection of adult content.

But the order seems to have been violated, already. Last evening, Sony aired Parineeta, which has a U/A certificate, and it was watched by countless homes in Mumbai, not to mention homes outside Maharashtra.