“It is hard to believe that the censor board chairman Pahlaj Nihalani was acting without Jaitley’s consent and knowledge as he (Jaitley) happens to be his boss”, he said.
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The “Dilwale” helmer said he understands what the makers of the film must be going through, considering a lot of money that is riding on the movie.
The court said ” there is no mention of the word “censor” in board. They also agreed to add to the disclaimer that “neither the film maker, nor the actors support the use of expletives and abusive language by any section of the society”. “CBFC’s powers to cut, delete or change scenes must be consistently in consonance with provisions of the Constitution and Supreme Court orders”.
“As a filmmaker I feel empowered and relieved”, said Karan Johar, a noted film director and producer.
In a rare display of unity, Bollywood had rallied behind “Udta Punjab” co-producer Anurag Kashyap and the film’s cast to protest attempts by censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani to sanitize art and popular culture. “There are big stars in the film and all of them have a huge fan base”, Kareena told reporters here at an event last night.
The Bombay High Court has indicated it will allow the release of the film “Udta Punjab”, that allegedly portrays the state’s drug problem, with only one cut, out of the 13 the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) suggested, paving the way for its smooth launch on 17 June. “Nobody can dictate to him as to how the movie should be made or its content”, the court said.
“It will take time; gradually people have started raising their voice and people are being heard”, Rohit added. “If the government gives a green light to the film, then we will stand up against the government also”.
It overruled the board’s demand that the words “election, MP, parliament, and party” should be cut and said a scene where a character injects himself with drugs could be shown.
The High Court ruled the CBFC as being “overly critical” and asked it to reconsider it’s decision.
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The bench said it was in agreement with the petitioners that there was an increasing menace of drug abuse amongst the youth in Punjab.
