Overturning its earlier order, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that playing the national anthem before screening movies in cinema halls was no longer mandatory.

The latest ruling by a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra followed an order of November 2016 when the apex court made the playing of the national anthem compulsory in cinema halls before movies are screened.

Tuesday’s order came on a plea by the Central government that it had set up an inter-ministerial committee that will frame guidelines to decide the circumstances when the national anthem should be played or sung with decorum.

Attorney General K.K. Venugopal urged the court to modify its 2016 order substituting “may” with “shall” for the playing of national anthem in cinema halls.

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On November 30, 2016, the Supreme Court ordered that the national anthem must be played in cinemas before a movie’s start to instil a feeling of constitutional patriotism and a sense of committed patriotism and nationalism.

A whole lot of controversy popped up when National Anthem was made mandatory in cinema halls.

Disposing of the petition by Shyam Narayan Chouksey, the court allowed him to take his case to the inter-ministerial committee.