Bollywood can now hope to breathe easy. In a landmark decision, the Delhi High Court on Friday struck down the Centre's October 2006 notification banning smoking scenes in films. The HC said that the onscreen smoking is a part of the artist’s creative licence.

While lecturing on this, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said, “Director of films should not have multifarious authorities breathing down their necks when indulging in a creative act.”

Commenting over the HC verdict, an elated Mahesh Bhatt's lawyer Chander Lall said, “The smoking ban was against the Constitution especially when you have the Censor Board in place. You don't need another body.”

Most of the Bollywood actors and filmmakers feel that smoking is vital for the creative expression. They want that there should not be a blanket ban on showing smoking or drinking in films.

In October 2006, the high court reserved its order on the petition of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt challenging the validity of the Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production and Supply Act, 2003.

Earlier in January last year, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has asked Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan to refuses to smoke onscreen.