Udta Punjab is in the middle of a raging controversy thanks to its content. The film attempts to bring on screen the problem of drug abuse among the youth of Punjab. This being the reason that despite the big Modi wave across the country during 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP-Akali Dal combine could not fare well with even BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley losing the elections.
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The film’s producers on Thursday took the case to Bombay High Court, where they argued for an “Adult” certification to be awarded without cuts ahead of the film’s planned June 17 release date. “The job of the censor board is to certify films and not suggest cuts”. The petitioner also asked the Censor Board why they could pass films like Gangs of Wasseypur and Delhi Belly, which also have a lot of expletives but not Udta Punjab?
“If the chairman has suggested this type of disclaimers, I would request the chairman to go to the central government and ask to change the name of CBFC to pro of government”, Sharma said.
The scenes where the lead actor (Shahid Kapoor) is shown urinating in the crowd and the close-up shots of injecting the drug are found objectionable by the Censor Board.
The Bombay High Court, however, had a very valid question for the CBFC counsels:”Audience is mature; let the audience decide”.
“But people are misreading the film”, he said. Inspired by Munnabhai films, Mr. Kashyap has now chose to send a truck load of gift wrapped scissors to Pahlaj Nihalani and his Censor board team.
Coming out in support of Udta Punjab, filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt and Anurag Kashyap alleged the board was intentionally delaying its clearance.
“But people are misreading the film”.
Earlier, the CBFC lawyer contended that the Revising Committee’s order suggesting 13 changes in the film was not arbitrary, as was being made out by the filmmakers, and had been proposed after due application of mind.
Hearing the arguments, the court said that it was not satisfied with the first two suggestions made by the Censor Board about removing references to places in that state such as Chandigarh, Amritsar, Tarantaran, Jashanpura, Moga and Ludhiana.
On the black money issue, Mr. Jaitley, who is also Finance Minister, said the government is dealing with the issue reasonably and consistently.
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Pahlaj Nihalani, however, puts the matter in perspective. “So, drugs that come in from outside, have to pass through Punjab”.
