The Punjab Dramatic Performances Act, 1964

       GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB 

 

    DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS 

 

THE PUNJAB DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE ACT, 1964 

 

(PUNJAB ACT 10 OF 1964) 

 

(As amended upto the3rd March,2026) 

 

 

       2026  



 

THE PUNJAB DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE ACT, 1964 

CONTENTS 

SECTIONS 

1. Short title and extent 

2. Definitions 

3. Power to prohibit objectionable performances. 

4. Power to prohibit objectionable performances temporarily. 

5. Service of order of prohibition. 

6. Penalty for disobeying order. 

7. Penalty for disobeying prohibition. 

8. Power to call for information. 

9. Power to call for copy of purport of drama, etc. 

10. Appeal. 

11. Saving of prosecutions under other laws. 

12. Protection for acts done in good faith. 

13. Power to make rules. 

14. Repeal of Central Act XIX of 1876. 

 

  



              THE PUNJAB DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES ACT, 1964. 

   (PUNJAB ACT NO.10 OF 1964) 

(Received the assent of Governor of Punjab on the 16th April, 1964, and first 

published in the Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Legislative 

Supplement dated 21st April, 1964.) 

 

 

AN ACT to provide for the better control of public dramatic performances in the 

State of Punjab. 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Fifteenth Year of 

the Republic of India as follows :- 

1. (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Dramatic Performances Act, 1964. 

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Punjab.  

 

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- 

     (1) "objectionable performance" means any play, pantomime or other drama 

which is deliberately intended to outrage the religious feelings of any 

class of the citizens of India by insulting or blaspheming or profaning the 

religion or the religious beliefs of that class or is grossly indecent, or is 

scurrilous or obscene or intended for blackmail, or which is likely to- 

     (i) incite any person to resort to violence or sabotage for the purpose 

of overthrowing or undermining of Government established by law 

in India or in any State thereof or its authority in any area; or  

1 2 3 4 

Year No. Short title Whether repealed or otherwise affected 

by Legislation 

1964 10 The Punjab 

Dramatic 

Performances 

Act,1964 

1. Amended by Punjab Act 16 Of 1969. 

2. Amended by the Adaptation of 

Punjab Laws Order, 1970. 

Short title 

and 

extent. 

Definitions. 



    (ii) incite any person to commit murder, sabotage or any offence 

involving violence; or 

   (iii) seduce any member of any of the armed forces of the Union or of 

the police forces from his allegiance or his duty, or prejudice the 

recruiting of persons to serve in any such force or prejudice the 

discipline of any such force; or 

(iv) incite any section of the citizens of India to acts of violence against 

any other section of the citizens of India. 

Explanation I.-     A performance shall not be deemed to be objectionable merely 

because in the course thereof words are uttered, or signs or visible representations are 

made, expressing disapprobation or criticism of any law or of any policy of 

administrative action of the Government with a view to obtain its alteration or redress 

by lawful means. 

Explanation II. - In judging whether any performance is an objectionable 

performance, the play, pantomime or other drama shall be considered as a whole; 

    (2) "public place" means any building or enclosure, or any place in the open 

air or any pandal where the sides are not enclosed to which the public are 

admitted to witness a performance. 

 

3. (1) Whenever the District Magistrate is satisfied that any play, pantomime or 

other drama performed or about to be performed in a public place in his district is an 

objectionable performance, he may, by order stating the grounds on which he 

considers the performance objectionable, prohibit the performance. 

(2) No order under sub-section (1) shall be passed without giving a 

reasonable opportunity to the organizer or other principal persons responsible for the 

conduct of the performance or to the owner or occupier of the public place in which 

such performance is intended to take place to show cause why the performance should 

not be prohibited. 

(3) Every order made under sub-section (1) shall be published in the official 

Gazette and may also be notified by proclamation and a written or printed notice 

thereof may be affixed at any place or places adapted for giving  information of the 

order to the persons intending to take part in the performance so prohibited. 

Power to 

prohibit 

objectionable 

performances. 



 

4.  (1) The District Magistrate may, if he is of opinion that any play, pantomime 

or other drama performed or about to be performed in a public place in his district, 

being of the nature specified in clause (1) of section 2, is likely to lead to a breach of 

the peace, by order, stating the grounds for such opinion, prohibit its performance: 

Provided that the District Magistrate may review such order on an application 

made by the person or party affected by it. 

(2)  Subject to any order made on appeal under section 10, an order under 

this section shall remain in force for two months from the making thereof: 

Provided that the District Magistrate may, if he is of opinion that the order 

should continue in force, by such further order or orders as he may deem fit, extend 

the period aforesaid by a further period or periods not exceeding two months at a time 

as may be specified in such order or orders. 

 

5.  A copy of the order made under section 3 or section 4 may be served personally 

or in such other manner as may be prescribed by rules made under section 13, on the 

organisers or other principal persons responsible for the conduct of, or any person 

about to take part in, the performance so prohibited or on the owner or occupier of the 

public place in which such performance is intended to take place. 

 

6.  Any person on whom a copy of the order referred to in section 3 or section 4 is 

served and who does, or willingly permits, any act in disobedience of such order, 

shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 

three months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. 

 

7. (1)  Any person who, after the publication of an order under sub-section (3) 

of section 3, or during the period when an order made under section 4 is in force, 

organizes or is responsible for the conduct of, or who with the knowledge that such an 

order under section 3 or section 4 is in force takes part in, the performance prohibited 

thereby or any performance substantially the same as the performance so prohibited, 

shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 

three months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.  

Service of 

order of 

prohibition. 

Power to 

prohibit 

objectionable 

performances 

temporarily. 

Penalty for 

disobeying 

order. 

Penalty for 

disobeying 

prohibition. 



 (2)  Any person who being the owner or occupier, or having the use of any 

public place, opens, keeps or uses the same for any performance prohibited under 

section 3 or section 4 or permits the same to be opened, kept or used for any such 

performance, shall on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which 

may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, 

or with both. 

 

8.  (1)  For the purpose of ascertaining the character of any intended play, 

pantomime or other drama, the District Magistrate may, by order, require the 

organizers or other principal persons responsible for the conduct of, or other persons 

about to take part in, such play, pantomime or other drama or the author, proprietor or 

printer of the play, pantomime or other drama about to be performed, or the owner or 

occupier of the place in which it is intended to be performed, to furnish such 

information as the District Magistrate may think necessary. 

(2)  Every person so required shall be bound to furnish the information to the 

best of his ability within the time specified in such order and in case of contravention 

shall be deemed to have committed an offence under section 176 of the Indian Penal 

Code (Central Act XLV of 1860). 

 

9.  (1)  If the District Magistrate has reason to believe that an objectionable 

performance is about to take place, he may, by order, direct that no such performance 

shall take place in any public place in his district, unless a copy of the piece, if and so 

far as it is written, or some sufficient account of its purport, if and so far as it is in 

pantomime, has been furnished, not less than seven days before the performance to 

the District Magistrate. 

(2)  A copy of any order made under sub-section (1) may be served on the 

owner or occupier of the public place in which such performance is intended to take 

place, and if thereafter he does or willingly permits, any act in disobedience of such 

order, he shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may 

extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or 

with both.  

Power to call 

for 

information. 

Power to call 

for copy of  

purport of 

drama etc. 



1[9-A.   Entry and Inspection.-  (1) Any officer authorised by the District 

Magistrate in this behalf may enter any public place, within the area of jurisdiction of 

such District Magistrate, where any play, pantomime or other drama is being 

performed, for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of performance. 

(2) If any person prevents or obstructs the entry of any officer so authorised, he 

shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 

three months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.] 

 

10. Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 or section 4 may, 

within sixty days of the publication of such order, in the official Gazette under sub-

section (3) of section 3 or, as the case may be, within sixty days of the date on which 

an order under section 4 is made, prefer an appeal to the State Government or an 

officer authorised in this behalf by the State Government by notification, and upon 

such appeal the appellate authority may pass such orders as it deems fit confirming, 

varying or reversing the order appealed against, and may pass such consequential or 

incidental orders as may be necessary. 

 

11.  Where no order under section 3 or section 4 has been made in respect of any 

performance, nothing in this Act shall bar a prosecution under the Indian Penal Code 

(Central Act XLV of 1860) or any other law for the time being in force. 

 

12. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall be instituted against any 

authority or officer for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done 

under this Act or any rule made thereunder. 

 

13.  (1) The State Government may be notification make rules to carry out the 

purposes of this Act. 

(2) Every rule made under this section shall be laid as soon as may be after it 

is made before 2[***] of the State Legislature while it is in session for a total period of 

ten days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if 

                                                             
1Inserted by Punjab Act no.16 of 1969, section 2. 
2  The words "each House "omitted by the Adaptation of Punjab Laws Order,1970 
   

Appeal. 

Saving of 

prosecutions 

under other 

laws. 

Protection for 

acts done in 

good faith. 

Power to 

make rules. 

Entry and 

Inspection. 



before the expiry of the session, in which it is so laid or the session immediately 

following, 1[the Legislature] agree in making any modification in the rule or 1[the 

Legislature] agree that the rule should not  be  made, the rule shall thereafter have 

effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be, so however 

that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of 

anything previously done under that  rule. 

 

14.  The Dramatic Performances Act, 1876 (Central Act XIX of 1876), in so for as 

it applies to the State of Punjab, is hereby repealed. 

 

                 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                             
1 Substituted for the words "both Houses" by ibid. 

Repeal of 

Central Act 

XIX of 1876,