Mumbai: Amid controversy over Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming film “Udta Punjab”, The Bombay High Court on Friday told Central Board for Film Certification chief Pahlaj Nihalani that his job is to certify films not censor them.
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“If you truly believe in your film then you must be willing to fight to the end”, Kapur wrote on his Twitter timeline. “We are also ready to display a disclaimer saying neither the movie nor any characters in it nor the makers of the movie support or encourage use of cuss words or expletives and that we are only trying to depict reality”, Kadam said.
The film is scheduled for release on June 17 and deals with the drug abuse in Punjab and the review committee of the board said that ‘the theme, presentation, language and visuals of the film are not suitable for non-adults’.
The CBFC has contended that ‘ Udta Punjab’, a drug-themed crime thriller, needed several cuts as it cast the state in a bad light by giving an impression that most people there were addicts.
“You (CBFC) have to give people the choice to view what they want”.
Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who has seen the film at a special screening, said the support the producers were receiving underlined that “some people sitting in a board can not try and play nannies to audiences”. No film runs because of the use of cuss words.Most movies are failing in the multiplexes because the audience is bored with this over-dose.
The short satirical video featuring Richa Chadda, Namrata Rao, and Kartik Krishnan through the use of strong language and profane words, lashes out against the board. The modern generation won’t be impressed by all this.
“Our entire country has become Censor Board. And if one is not satisfied with board one can approach the tribunal or court”, said I&B secretary Ajay Mittal.
“The team who made the film and those who invested money in the film, what they might be going through I can understand as a producer and a director”. It is a certificate board, not Censor Board.
Section 5B allows the CBFC to deny certification of a film, if it is defamatory in nature or against “decency” and “morality”.
“The rule states that Censor Board should react only after a political party or an organisation raises objection”.
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I&B minister Arun Jaitley had yesterday said movie certification norms “will have to be liberal” and “very radical changes” to the certification process would soon be announced on the basis of a report from Benegal.
