Supreme Court lifted 1990 ban on performance of play Jesus Christ Superstar
The musical play Jesus Christ Superstar was in the news because on 7 April 2015 the Supreme Court (SC) of India quashed the Kottayam collector’s notification of 1990 banning the performance of the drama in the district.The verdict was delivered by a SC Bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi.The ban on the staging of the play was imposed by the Kottayam District administration through a notification in 1990.Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock musical album for which music was provided by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.The musical album started as a rock opera concept before its first staging in the United States (US) in 1971.
The literary piece is loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the last week of Jesus's life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion.It highlights political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus that are not in the Bible narratives.A large part of the plot focuses on the character of Judas Iscariot, who is depicted as a tragic figure dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus steers his disciples and hands over Jesus Christ for 30 silver coins to Pharaoh Soldiers.The Christian groups who challenged the play’s performance argued that it is against the belief of the Christian faith because they claim Jesus is innocent and God’s representative and his actions are bonafide.
