Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor in a still from Padmaavat

It was a victory of freedom of expression as the Supreme Court yesterday cleared Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat for release, by staying the ban imposed by the governments of several states including Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, the bench said it is the duty of states to maintain law and order and that the creative content is an inseparable aspect of Article 19 (1), freedom of speech and expression.