Censorship of cinema: India
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Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate and author of `The Argumentative Indian', led the chorus of angry voices that questioned the censor board's intent and interest in demanding the wipeout of words like “cow“, “Gujarat“, “Hindu India“ and “Hindutva view of India“ from a documentary film revolving around conversations between Sen and Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the UPA-2 regime. Sen said the Central Board of Film Certification's move settled a key question in his mind: whether such bodies appointed by the Centre acted in the interest of the nation or in the interest of the ruling party . “I think this incident offers a fairly clear answer,“ he said on Wednesday . | Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate and author of `The Argumentative Indian', led the chorus of angry voices that questioned the censor board's intent and interest in demanding the wipeout of words like “cow“, “Gujarat“, “Hindu India“ and “Hindutva view of India“ from a documentary film revolving around conversations between Sen and Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the UPA-2 regime. Sen said the Central Board of Film Certification's move settled a key question in his mind: whether such bodies appointed by the Centre acted in the interest of the nation or in the interest of the ruling party . “I think this incident offers a fairly clear answer,“ he said on Wednesday . | ||
Revision as of 13:44, 13 September 2017
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2001-2011: 256 films banned
The Times of India
256 films banned by Censor Board in last decade By NewsDesk • DearCinema February 9, 2013
Between 2001 and 2011, a total 256 films have been denied certification by the Central Board of Film Certification, as per the information obtained by Lucknow based RTI (Right to Information) activists Amitabh and Nutan Thakur.
The maximum number of films denied certification in one year was 59 in 2006, followed by 33 films in 2002 and 31 in 2004. Only 9 films were denied certification in 2010.
In 2001 all the 19 films denied certificate were English films.
A maximum number of 78 Hindi films have been banned followed by 52 English films. Among South Indian films; 51 Tamil, 33 Kannada, 15 Telugu and 14 Malayalam films have been denied certification in this period while 5 Marathi films have been denied certificate.
Only one Bengali film (2011- Kaal Aaj Kaal) and 1 Gujarati film (2010- Hun Re Vijogan Tara Nam Ni) was banned during this entire period while 2 Bhojpuri (Garda Garda Ho jaaye, Mumbai Bam Visfot Kand) and 2 Haryanavi films (Jija Teen Taang Ka, Padosan Thanedar) in 2006 were also denied certificates.
Most of these films had sexually implicit material. They include films like Frivolous Lola (2001), Adamkhor Hasina, Qatil Shikari, Khooni Raat (2002), Aalingnam (Malayalam- 2002), Biwi Tumhari Bacche Hamare (2003), Yoga Teacher, Divya Teacher (Tamil- 2003), Aag Hai Ye badan (Hindi- 2004), Bhookh, Jo Andar Fit woh baahar bhi Hit (2005), Maa Ninello Naanalle (Kannada), Preethiya, Rambha (Kannada-2006), Husn Bewafa, Sanam Harjai (Hindi) 2006, Model (Kannada)- 2007, Mumbai Aamchich (Marathi- 2007), Master Eke Master (Marathi- 2008), Maadosha (kannada- 2008), Bedherencha Bayangaram (Telugu- 2008), Back to Honeymoon (Hindi- 2009), Thee, Naalai Namade(Tamil- 2009), Paribhavam (Malayalam), Hawaa, Mestru (kannada- 2009), Deva Leelai (Tamil), Panchavati (Kannada), Yaar, Kattupuli, Itumbu (Tamil) etc.
A brief history
The Times of India, Jun 10, 2016
Within the Walkeshwar headquarters of the Central Board of Film Certification blessed with a deceptively soothing view of the Girgaum Chowpatty oceanfront. Deceptive because bolts of thunder and lightning have struck the headquarters, especially during the Emergency era of the mid-1970, and are currently exacerbating the damage done already. In the course of four decades, 16 chairpersons have further warmed the hot seat and exited most often unceremoniously. Not one of them could quite escape brickbats and assorted calumny. Pahlaj Nihalani's story, however, has been close to a tragedy. Ensconced in the seat since January last year, the former filmmaker has been the most unique of them all, a Nero fiddling away while Bollywood burns. Normally, honorary appointees of the central government require the goahead from their individual ministries before doling out interviews. Apparently, that stricture doesn't exist any more, since Nihalani has become the dada of dial-a-brain-boggling quote. By comparison the most dictatorial of the former chairpersons, today strike me as new-born lambs. Take the mildmannered Virendra Vyas, a bureaucrat to the core but redeemed by his congeniality, and openness to discourse. He would tremble on being interrogated. If he served tea, he would believe it or not, joke, "I hope the tea is not as weak as my answers." Next: K L Khandapur, and N S Thapa, both documentary filmmakers from the Films Division, were shunted to the Censor Board, as the chief and his next-in-charge respectively. Khandpur was grim and inscrutable, Thapa an outspoken warrior. If the censor file of the cuts imposed in Sholay went missing from the office, he sensed foul play. V C Shukla, the I & B Minister then was going beyond limits. Thapa leaked the story to The Times of India, emphasising, "Quote me if you want to, I don't care." None of the appointees before and after Khandpur and Thapa could leave their imprint on the censorship policy. The liberal-minded Hrishikesh Mukherjee attempted to but quit within 18 months, citing health reasons. Politically correct, he didn't place his dismay on record though. Indeed Leela Samson, Bharatanatyam exponent, is the only chairperson who has categorically told the I & B ministry where to get off. When controversy erupted over the sudden clearance of Messenger of God, Samson assented to her first dialogue for the press, pointing out the "interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organisation who are appointed by the ministry." Before that, around the early '90s, B P Singhal - former director-general of the UP police, Rajya Sabha MP and often described as 'the pillar of Hindutva' — couldn't cut through the thickets of censorship codes (which are still hopelessly arbitrary). At meetings with the panels, he would behave as if he had landed at the wrong party. Either someone up their in the celestial heavens or in the ministry, had a Eureka moment. Why not appoint Mumbai's film industrywalas as chairpersons? Of them, Asha Parekh shudders, "Oh my god, at least three filmmakers made my life miserable. I promise to tell all in my autobiography." Vijay Anand lasted less than a year, shocking the powersthat-were when he suggested licensing triple XXX cinemas to screen porn. Now, that's a thought. Shakti Samanta, Arvind Trivedi and Anupam Kher went through their tenures. No progress, no dramatic changes. Sharmila Tagore survived in the chair for as many as seven years after which the chairperson-makers developed an itch. Enter Samson, who carried out her duties diligently without being recompensed with so much as a polite thankyou. The BJP emerged tops at the general elections. And presto, Pahlaj Nihalani was smiling wider than the Worli-Bandra sea link. The once spic-and-span Walkeshwar office is now as dark and dingy as any red-taped government department. Truly, give me the good old days when a top censor officer would dare to point an accusing finger at a minister for Sholay. Right now, under Nihalani's tutelage film lovers might as well stay at home and cut paper dolls.
Parzania
Other films include The Irreputable Truth about Demons (New Zealand horror film), The Mexican, a 2001 American comedy film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts and Rahul Dholakia directed Parzania (English, partly Gujarati- 2005), based on Gujarat riots.
’CBFC ’s role is to certify, not censor’: Bombay HC, 2016
The Times of India, Jun 11 2016
Shibu Thomas
The Bombay high court reminded the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) that it was empowered to primarily certify films, even as the producers of `Udta Punjab' agreed to cut a scene and add a disclaimer. “Do you find the word `censor' anywhere in the law?“ asked Justices Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, pointing out that the term `censor board' was coined by the media. “Your power is to certify films for screening. The public does not require censoring and let them decide if a movie is good or bad. If you do not want to see something on TV one uses the remote. That remote you should give to the public so that they can decide whether to switch off or not watch something, on TV or films.“ The judges added, “Has the CBFC discharged its functions from 1952 with utmost care? The board and the public must share the blame (for the kind of movies that are made).“ The court has reserved its order on the challenge to the cuts ordered by the CBFC and is likely to deliver its verdict on June 13.
The HC told the CBFC the film industry was not made of glass that one needs to “handle with care“ and remarked that all this had benefited the film.“The film has received weightage and undue publicity . The filmmakers have saved all the promotional expenses as this has (ensured) enough publicity,“ the judges said.
Anurag Kashyap's Phan tom Films, one of the producers of the movie, agreed to cut out a scene in which the lead actor Shahid Kapoor urinates into the audience during a rock concert after the HC insisted that the entire scene had to go. Senior advocate Ravi Kadam, counsel for the filmmakers, also agreed to add the disclaimer that “neither the film maker, nor the actors support the use of expletives and abusive language by any section of the society“. The producers said that they were not agreeable to any more cuts in scenes or the abusive words as they were integral to the film about the drug menace in Punjab.
Advocate Advait Sethna, counsel for CBFC, said that the board would press for all the 13 cuts to be maintained. “The film is defamatory to Punjab and its people. The use of abusive language is harmful to society. Even little children are singing the song which has the words chitaave (white powder) and h*##mi,“ said Sethna. At this, advocate Kadam pointed out that the CBFC had cleared the song without any cuts and a UA certification.
The CBFC's revising committee had recommended cuts in 13 categories, including abusive words in songs and dialogue, scene of Shahid Kapoor urinating, a scene of a man scratching his side, scenes of people injecting drugs and changing the name of a dog, Jackie Chain. The CBFC had also wanted all references to Punjab and other cities deleted from the movie as well as references to `MLA ', `Party' worker, and `election' removed.
The court questioned the CBFC on the cuts. “No one likes an abusive person to sit next to them. Similarly , if a film is full of only abuses, will the audience sit through it? Creative minds will realise their folly that films do not run because of abusive language. They think in the multiplexes everything will work. They will learn from their mistakes. Why are you (CBFC) worried?“ the court queried. It said that the post-80s generation was different from the older generations. “This attitude is not going to work. The generations to come are not going to be impressed. We want creative people and the film industry to survive. Ultimately it is content, not the volume of films that is produced that is important and lasting.“
2008, 2009: Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada films
Tollywood's penchant for sleaze gets under censor's skin
Ch Sushil Rao, TNN | May 21, 2011, 12.27am IST
HYDERABAD: It's not there in the hall of fame, look for it in the hall of shame and Tollywood is there occupying the centrestage.
The Telugu film industry, which boasts of producing the second most number of films in the country, has earned the dubious distinction of being on the top in trying to peddle obscenity, vulgarity and violence in films.
The scissors of the censors, however, have often cut the dreams of filmmakers short by insisting on deleting all objectionable scenes.
In terms of length, for the year 2008 a total of 8,073.68 metres of film had to be cut by filmmakers as the censors found it objectionable. Compare this figure to Bollywood's movies and the length advised to be cut was only 1,825.66 metres.
Similarly, for the year 2009 also (the latest year for which detailed statistics are available), the Telugu film industry showed its ability to outclass other language films. A total of 4,761.20 metres of film had to be cut in the Telugu movies censored at the Hyderabad regional office as against 2,472.63 metres which suffered the censors cut in the Mumbai regional office.
During 2008, as against 286 Telugu films released, 248 Hindi films were released. However, during 2009, while 235 Hindi films were released, 218 Telugu films hit the theatres.
Telugu filmmakers have shown an obsession for obscenity, even if they know it may not get past the censors. "The obscene stuff is shot anyway hoping that the film gets a clearance with all that," says a film analyst. "After we watch the film, we have a sitting with the film producer and the director and advise them about the cuts to be made. They do give their point of view, but the CBFC follows strict guidelines in not passing what is objectionable," said CBFC regional officer A Dhanalakshmi.
Take for instance, the movie `Nenu Na Rakshasi' starring Rana Daggubati directed by Puri Jagannath which got released on April 29, 20011. Item bomb Mumaith Khan had to bear the brunt of the censors as they got the scenes in which her body exposure was considered vulgar in a cafe and on a flight. Some 25 feet of film had to be cut for this. The censors insisted that Mumaith Khan's exposure of her cleavage in a close-up shot in a song be deleted. This apart, vulgar words and abuses were got deleted by the censors.
In the movie `Lokame Koththaga' released on April 8, 2011, Jyothi's intimate love scenes with her boyfriend had to be sliced. To give more examples, in the film `Mantra' starring Charmee and directed by Tulasiram, the censors imposed as many as 10 cuts which meant 230ft of film had to be sliced and given an `A' certificate.
`Ala Na Pellanta' released in March this year starring Allari Naresh too suffered censor cuts for unnecessary exposure of the heroine in a bikini at a swimming pool.
It is only getting worse in Tollywood. In a recently released film, a filmmaker went to the extent of incorporating a dialogue which said `One plus one free' referring to a daughter and mother. Shocked censors naturally did not allow it to pass.
The Tamil film industry which encourages buxom beauties had also to suffer the brunt of the censors but this was to an extent of only 3,920.4 metres of length of film in the year 2009. The Kannada film industry was spared with 2,898.79 metres of cuts and Bengali films only 116.59 metres of cuts.
2010: Adults only films
Hindi film-makers get bolder, prefer 'A' rating
Viju B & Bharati Dubey, TNN | Apr 4, 2011, 05.49am IST
MUMBAI: Film-makers have been dishing out more adult-only movies for discerning audiences across the country in the last three years. While there was a decline in the number of movies made in the universal category in the last three years, the corresponding period showed an increase in the number of adult movies in major languages across the country.
Hindi movies topped the list of adult movies, with 61 out of the 215 Hindi movies last year, with an increase of 3% in the last three years. Tamil movies came second, with 50 adult movies out of the 202 movies made last year, an increase of 4% in the last three years.
The vibrant Telugu movie industry was not far behind, with 45 adult movies out of the 181 Telugu movies made last year, an increase of 3% in the last three years.
Though the Bengali film industry produced only 17 adult movies out of the 110 movies last year, there was an 8% increase in the adult movie category in the last three years, according to data from the Central Board of Film Certification ( CBFC).
Film-makers and experts said the censor board's new policy of preferring to give an 'A' certificate rather than cut scenes and increasing maturity of audiences, who are willing to appreciate such movies, are reasons for the increase in the adult content in Indian movies.
Film-maker Sangeeta Datta, who directed Sharmila Tagore in Life Goes On, said that newer and bolder themes, especially dealing with sexuality, are being experimented by film-makers in West Bengal. "'Memories of March is one such bold film. Also, the censor board is asking the film-maker to cut scenes, which is why 'A' certificate films have gone up," Datta said.
RTI activist Chetan Kothari, who filed a query on the issue, said some film-makers insert explicit scenes to make the movie into a commercial hit. Film-maker Mahesh Bhatt said, "The internet has increased the appetite of the audience for adult content. Film-makers are catering to this demand to stay in business."
Film-makers say that they are forced to accept an 'A' certificate so that the film's storyline does not get disrupted. Producer Kumar Mangat accepted an 'A' certificate for Aakrosh, which dealt with the politics of violence and greed after censor board officials suggested.
Film-maker Madhur Bhandarkar, who has been urging the censor board to change the age group category for viewing of films, said he was still waiting for new guidelines from the information & broadcasting ministry, which will introduces a 15+ category.
"It will get me back my audiences. I lost about Rs 7 crore in 'Dil Toh Bachcha Hai' only because of the 'A' certificate and teenagers could not view it.
Bhandarkar's 'Fashion', which tried to explore the seamier side of the Indian fashion industry, was given an 'A' certificate as drinking and love-making scenes were shown. The censor board felt the scenes would have a bad influence on teenagers.
2011-2015: Hindi-Urdu films with censorship problems
Censor board 'cuts' that made headlines
The Times of India<> The Times of India
The Censor Board of India has asked filmmakers to chop out scenes from their movies on several occasions. While most filmmakers comply by the rules without making much noise, there are those who end up creating headlines in some way or the other. The Times of India took a look at some of those...
Action Jackson Despite the fact that Ajay Devgn's Action Jackson has been cleared by the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a 'UA' certificate, the CBFC has removed one particular word from the film's soundtrack. According to a report on Pinkvilla.com, the word 'temple' has been asked to be removed from Ajay Devgn's monologue in the film. The report also quotes the film's director, Prabhu Dheva as saying that since the change didn't make any difference to the dialogue, they had already replaced the offending word with 'statue.' Prabhu Dheva insists that it was no problem at all.
Badlapur According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Sriram Raghavan refused to delete certain scenes from Badlapur, and agreed to the 'A' certificate issued by the Censor Board. The film was screened for the censors and they were willing to give it a 'UA' rating, provided that the makers agreed to major cuts recommended by the Examining Committee. "But Sriram categorically told the Board that he's very happy with an 'A' certificate as long as no scenes are cut. This caused some surprise as most filmmakers put up a fight," a source close to the development informed. The scenes asked to be chopped off included a few lovemaking shots and certain portions depicting graphic violence.
Badmashiyaan According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, the film Badmashiyaan, that releases on March 6, has been passed with 12 cuts. A rom-com revolving around a gold-digging con woman, the film was given 12 cuts and cleared with a UA certificate on February 23. Bollywood's patented phrase, 'kutte kaminey' had to be redubbed as 'andha kahin ka' and 'ma ki aankh' with 'ma ki eye.' Several other words like 'tutiya' (mistaken for chu**ya) and 'pichwada' were muted, along with the phrase 'Mard to saare kutte hote hain.' The word 'haramkhor' was deleted. What was even more baffling was that in a scene where the girl goes to file an FIR for molestation, the words 'hum bistri' had to be muted from her dialogue but the same words, when used by the guy, were allowed. Even 'my ass' which was not used in a derogatory manner, was frowned upon. The film's director Amit Khanna agrees that he had to give in as the release date of the film was near,
Chakravyuh Prakash Jha's films are high on politics and social issues and it comes as no surprise that he makes it to our list here. Chakravyuh starring Abhay Deol, Arjun Rampal, Esha Gupta, Manoj Bajpayee and Anjali Patil ran into trouble with the Censor Board as well. As per a report in Times of India, the film ran into trouble with the Censor Board over the song 'Tata, Birla, Ambani aur Bata, sab ne hai desh ko kaata.' The song was sung by Kailash Kher and picturised on Abhay Deol. The Censor Board did not pass the song because members felt it was a personal attack on the country's top industrialists and intended to defame them. Although, Prakash Jha insisted that the names of the industrialists are used to represent a mindset and not target anyone, the Board thought otherwise. The report said that the song was cleared by the Board only after they added a disclaimer.
Dedh Ishqiya Madhuri Dixit, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Huma Qureshi starrer Dedh Ishqiya also ran into trouble with the Censor Board, however, only post the release. The film was cleared except for a particular scene where Arshad Warsi visits a brothel, which was blurred. However, according to a news report, the scene found its way into the film and members of the Board saw the film without the blurred version at a screening. According to a mid-day report, the producers of the film initially blamed the cinema halls and their bad lighting. As the result, they later accepted their fault. As per the report, a show cause notice was sent to the filmmaker post this incident.
Delhi Belly Aamir Khan's Delhi Belly was another film that courted controversy with the Censor Board. According to a Mumbai Mirror report, 'Delhi Belly' was given an A certificate. However, for its television rights, the film had to face some strict diktats by the Board. As per the Mumbai Mirror report, the Board had apparently agreed to release the film's satellite rights after it made roughly 17 to 18 cuts. Not just that, after this, the Board had apparently asked the filmmaker to make further changes.
Dharam Sankat Mein: According to a report on Mid-day.com, even after cutting off a few scenes from their film, Dharam Sankat Mein, the makers have been asked to beep out certain words for the film to be cleared by the Censor Board. A source from the film unit has been quoted in the report as saying that they had expected a few cuts considering that the subject of the film was a bit sensitive but they were surprised that they had a problem with words such as saala, kambakht and musalmaano which are very commonly used. The source add that they had to agree to beep the words as they wanted to release the film.
Dilliwaali Zaalim Girlfriend According to a report on Bollywoodlife.com, Dilliwaali Zaalim Girlfriend has been given a U/A certificate by the Censor Board after 63 mutes. The muted portions include words like saala and saali. The director of the film, Japinder Kaur, is rather amused by the cuts. She is quoted in the report as saying that if there is no thematic issue, she doesn’t understands the problem in just picking up singular words that are local lingo. She also suggests that to bring about any change in rules, guidelines should be set systematically with time limits and that the Censor should inform that films going into production now should follow new rules; because they have the space to, not the ones that are already completed and have been in working progress in the last 1-2 years.
Fifty Shades Of Grey Hollywood film, Fifty Shades Of Grey's release in India was postponed due to censorship problems. According to a Mumbai Mirror report, Hollywood BDSM drama 50 Shades of Grey's Indian release is in a limbo. The film has been banned in UAE and Malaysia and there's a question mark over its Indian release, the report stated. Reportedly, the film explores the theme of bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism and features 20-minutes of explicit sex scenes. The studio reached out to the CBFC seeking a screening in India, stated the Mirror report quoting a source, “They haven't been given an appointment yet but once that is sorted, the makers are optimistic to release the film in the last week of February or early March." The Indian arm of the Hollywood-studio producing the film has sent back the film print to LA for “internal-trimming," the report further stated. “Once the Indian censors suggest cuts, and in this case they are anticipating several, the producers have to consult with the studio bosses in Los Angeles on the changes prior to the Indian release. To ensure that the cuts are minimised, the studio is sending a trimmed version to the censors. Once the drive codes are submitted, the Board will take a call on the cuts," the report quoted a source from the CBFC. Another member of the Board, Ashoke Pandit said to Mirror, "It will follow the normal process of censoring like any other Hollywood film coming to India. How many cuts it gets will depend on the members present at the screening."
Finding Fanny Homi Adajania's Finding Fanny was the latest to join the bandwagon of films that were asked to delete certain portions from it, before the film it had hit theatres. According to a Mumbai Mirror report dated August 25, Homi Adajania has been asked to delete a 'vulgar' line from the film where actress Deepika Padukone tells actor Arjun Kapoor, "I'm a virgin". As per the report, Homi argued that the word 'virgin' has been passed earlier in films like Dil Se (1998) where Preity Zinta asks Shah Rukh Khan whether he is a virgin. In 2 States (2014) too, after a steamy scene, Alia asks Arjun if this is his "first time." However, Homi was reportedly asked to chop it if he wanted a UA certificate. The Censor Board apparently objected to Dimple Kapadia's posterior shot in the film as well. As per a Mumbai Mirror report dated August 27, the veteran actress sounded displeased with the CBFC over this and reacted, "I need to have a word with these people. They pass kissing scenes and nudity, but object to my fully-clothed bum." [sic]. Reportedly, CBFC Chairperson Leela Samson has admitted that deleting the line from the movie was a 'mistake'. As per a Mumbai Mirror report dated September 6, the line had been cleared and was back in the film. [The print Indpaedia’s volunteers saw did not have the line. The Deepika character only mentions that she had not been kissed.]
Grand Masti According to a report on Mid-day.com, the censor board wants 218 scenes deleted from Grand Masti’s TV premiere. The sex comedy film might finally see a television premiere about 17 months post its theatrical release. Regional officer of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Rahul Vaidya has sent a show cause notice to the makers asking them to effect 218 cuts for small screen viewing, the report stated. According to the report, filmmaker Inder Kumar says that the process of deleting the scenes is already underway.
Happy Ending Saif Ali Khan's Happy Ending, co-produced by Dinesh Vijan, was given a UA certificate only after three cuts, reports Mumbai Mirror. Certain expletives like `as*h*l*' and `f****rs' have been modified to 'ass' and 'fokers' and the word 'naked' has been deleted. However, a member of the cast is exultant that words like 'penis' and 'ch***ya' have not got the cut, the report states. “We let the word 'ch**iya' pass if it isn't uttered too often in a film. But, the word 'penis' should never be passed. The print that was screened for us was barely audible and a lot of what was being said on screen, was pure guesswork on our part," the report quotes a CBFC member (on condition of anonymity). When questioned on the word 'penis', Raj quipped to Mirror, “It was actually a reference to peanuts which Ranvir Shorey and Saif have while having a drink. But perhaps it doesn't sound like peanuts."
Jism 2 Pooja Bhatt ran into trouble with the Censor Board when her film Jism 2 was about to release. The movie marked adult film star Sunny Leone's debut in Bollywood, but that wasn't the reason the Censor Board withheld their certification. Apparently, the Board asked director Pooja Bhatt to chop off the length of four love making scenes from the film, as per a report in Times of India. The scenes were asked to be reduced to half, only then would it get an adult certificate. Sunny Leone featured in all the four love making scenes in the film. Pooja Bhatt complied and the scenes were reduced in length accordingly. However, she mentions that in one love making scene, a part of Sunny Leone's breast was visible and that was also one of the things pointed out by the board.
Margarita With A Straw... Here's how the Censor Board reacted to Kalki Koechlin's lesbian scenes in Margarita With A Straw... According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Censor Board's Revising Committee has cleared a same-sex lovemaking scene from the film, Margarita With A Straw but strangely insisted on trimming straight coupling. The Censors wanted a shot showing the lead character peeing cut, and a 13-second kissing scene between Kalki and her lesbian lover removed from the film which is about a woman with cerebral palsy coming to terms with her queer sexuality. But in a welcome move, the film has now got a clean chit from the CBFC's Revising Committee. “We've come out with only a single cut!“ says an elated Shonali Bose, the producer-director of the film. However, the director is not happy with the Revising Committee shortening a 16-second scene involving a straight couple having sex. Shonali was asked to tone it down by "50 percent" because, to quote a Board member, “too much ho raha hai." <>However, Shonali hadn't expected things to be so smooth. She had anticipated more friction with the CBFC.
According to a Mumbai Mirror report, Censor Board has told the director of Margarita, With A Straw that they have moral guidelines to follow. Despite assurances from the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore that the Central Board of Film Certification is a 'certifying body' not a 'censoring one', the Board continues to wield its scissors on films, the report stated. And its latest casualty is Shonali Bose's award winning film Margarita, With A Straw, a coming-of-age story of a young girl suffering from cerebral palsy, played by Kalki Koechlin, who comes to terms with her queer sexuality. The report further stated that after watching the film, the Examining Committee (EC) asked the makers to tone down a kissing scene between Kalki and Sayani Gupta. "There is a 12-second long kiss between the two characters, but the CBFC had problems with it. They want me to reduce it to just a few seconds. I explained that as it is their first kiss, it can't be that brief," the report quoted Shonali. <>The members also asked Bose to edit out a scene when Kalki shows the middle finger. Another sequence shows a male character removing her undergarments so that she could use the washroom and she then proceeds to urinate. This too riled the Censors, the report further stated. "The film will go to the Revising Committee now. I hope better sense prevails as the EC, to my shock, told me they had moral guidelines to follow," an exasperated Shonali told Mirror.
According to a report on Ndtv.com, Aamir Khan, who was present at the trailer launch of the film Margarita, With a Straw, said he was not in favour of censorship. The actor stated that he was not in favour of censorship but was in favour of the rating system. Also adding that one should not try and pre-empt what the Censor certification should be and how the members will react. Further to the report on Ndtv.com, the actor also added that in a democratic country like India where there was freedom of speech, it would be quite difficult to not allow a film to release on unreasonable grounds. Aamir also expressed his surprise at NH10 (initially) being denied a certification by the Censor Board and called it rather unusual and unprecedented, as further mentioned on Ndtv.com
Miss Lovely featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Niharika Singh made headlines when it was sent to the Censor Board for certification. Looking at the adult and explicit content in the film, the CBFC proposed to make 157 cuts to the film, according to a report in Times of India. However, during the course of the year, the Board toned down their diktat and in turn passed the film with an 'A' certificate with just four cuts. Filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia, whose film got critical acclaim internationally, was unsure if it would release in India looking at its content.
MSG: The Messenger of God According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, the CBFC revising committee has denied the release of MSG: The Messenger of God citing the reason that it might create law and order issues. Featuring a 'rockstar baba,' the film's trailer received over a million hits on video sharing websites but the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has refused to clear the film. Confirming the news, CBFC member Nandini Sardesai told Mirror, "All seven members agreed that in its entirety, this film cannot be shown as it not only promotes blind faith and superstition, but also hurts religious sentiments and could cause communal problems."
Poshter Boyz Actor-producer Shreyas Talpade's film Poshter Boyz which talks about vasectomy made headlines when the film was passed with a U/A certificate by the Censor Board without suggesting a single cut. Shreyas, in an interview to Times of India, said that his film had no vulgar content and utmost care had been taken about the kind of humour incorporated in it and about the language used. While the edgy subject of the film may have raised eyebrows, the Censor Board cleared the air and gave the film a U/A rating.
Ragini MMS 2 Sunny Leone's Ragini MMS 2 aimed at spicing up things for cine goers with its bold content. However, the makers had to dilute the tone and content of the film after the Censor Board asked them to make certain edits before its release. Ekta Kapoor's film was asked to make three important cuts in the story. A Mumbai Mirror report explains the three scenes that were asked to be edited from the film. In one particular scene, the lead pair go to a bungalow for the weekend. In this scene, the hero talks about the after effects of an aphrodisiac, which the Censor Board found too explicit. There is another scene in the movie where the lead pair talk about male and female genitals and this too was apparently saucy for the audiences. Another scene that was asked to be edited was when the male protagonist suggests that his girlfriend indulge in oral sex.
Sorry Musician Mihir Joshi's song 'Sorry' was in trouble with the Censor Board for using the word 'Bombay' in the lyrics, following which it had to beeped out. And now according to a report on Mid-day.com, the Censor Board seems to have planned to put a blanket ban on the word 'Bombay' and has also informed the producer's associations to not accept registrations for film titles, lyrics or dialogues containing 'Bombay.' The Mid-day report further quoted a source saying that they were following the guidelines from 1996 gazette which stated to restore the city's name as Mumbai.
The Xpose Himesh Reshammiya's The Xpose made headlines for various reasons and one of them was its tussle with the Censor Board. The CBFC made an objection to Sonali Raut's skin show in the film. The scene which is a tribute to Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sundaram, shows Sonali in a wet white saree recreating Zeenat Aman's iconic scene from the original. While it was shown in the film's trailer, the CBFC asked the makers to delete it from the film. Another scene where actor Zoya Afroz is running on the beach wearing a bikini, did not go down too well with the CBFC. The makers were once again asked to blur the actress' cleavage in this scene. According to a Times of India report, another scene where a brand name was used prominently was also asked to be blurred.
Ugly Anurag Kashyap won his long-standing battle with the censor board with the release of his dark thriller Ugly. Having said that, the filmmaker has also found a supporter in Farhan Akhtar as he joins Anurag in his fight against the practice of inserting anti-smoking disclaimers into films, arguing that it's just a distraction, not effective messaging, reports Mumbai Mirror. For over a year, Anurag Kashyap had delayed the release of Ugly, refusing to carry the mandatory anti-smoking disclaimer whenever a cigarette was seen smouldering on screen. Anurag is determined to continue with his fight and refuses to watch his film in the theatres, saying that the disclaimer would make him feel insulted and cheated, the report states. “We all are in agreement that smoking is injurious to health. But is running a disclaimer as a sub-title during a scene the solution to the problem? The answer is 'no'," Farhan told Mirror. In his petition submitted in the Bombay High Court, Anurag argued that the disclaimer restrains a filmmaker's constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.
2011: Aarakshan--Fear of breach of peace
Aarakshan's Screening stopped
Supreme Court lifts ban on 'Aarakshan' in Uttar Pradesh
TNN & Agencies | Aug 19, 2011, 02.53PM IST
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday set aside Uttar Pradesh government's decision to suspend the screening of filmmaker Prakash Jha's " Aarakshan".
The court said the UP government had no powers to suspend screening of the film on the ground that it may cause breach of peace.
An apex court bench of Justice M Sharma and Justice Anil R Dave said the state government cannot seek deletion of certain potions of the film as this amounted to censorship.
The court said once the Central Board of Film Certification cleared the public screening of a film, no state government can raise objections on its content.
Referring to the Uttar Pradesh government's contention that reservation was a very delicate issue and certain scenes in "Aarakshan" had the potential of affecting the law and order situation, the court said it could not agree with this as the film is being shown all over the country, including in the states which are sensitive to reservation.
"Aarakshan", starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, deals with caste-based reservations in the Indian education system.
2012-14: Adults only films
The Times of India, Aug 03 2015
Himanshi Dhawan
Number of `adult' films trimmed for TV goes up
The number of adult films subject to the censor board's scissors to make them fit for TVhas steadily increased in the last three years. While 249 films with adult (A) certification were re-examined and given UA certificate in 2012, the number went up to 276 in 2013 and 284 in 2014. About 1,400 films have been certified by the Censor Board since January this year of which 189 adult films were given UA certificate. Since there is a ban on adult content on TV , films need to qualify as UA to be shown on cable TV . UA certificate means that under-12s require adult supervision as some scenes may be unsuitable for them.Most Bollywood producers vie for a it as TV rights constitute alarge source of revenue.
There is nothing in the Cinematograph Act, 1952 or the CBFC guidelines regarding re-certification, yet it is a “facility provided since the early 1990s. Since censor board chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani took charge in Ja nuary , filmmakers feel the adult certification has been handed out all too easily.They have been asked to remove words like lesbian, Bombay , saala, if they wanted a UA certification.
Certification for TV hit a controversy recently when a CAG report pointed out that the censor board had reclassified 172 adult-rated movies as general category films over the past three years without following its own rules.
In an RTI plea to Punebased Vihar Durve, the CBFC said 172 `A' films had been re-certified between October 2012 and March 2015 as `UA' without following set procedure.
2013-2014: Some prominent cuts
The Times of India, Dec 03 2015
I&B lists cuts in 40 films to show up `sanskari' UPA
I&B ministry sources said the CBFC had imposed cuts on nudity, intimate scenes and cuss words in 2013-2014 before the present board was appointed by the BJP government. Cuss words, intimate scenes nudity were chopped off from several films like Murder 3 Ghanchakkar, Megamind, Ro bocop, Queen, Ragini MMS 2 Hate Story 2, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Highway among a series of others, officials said.
2015-2016: U, UA and Adult films
The Times of India
See graphic.
2016
`Haraamkhor'"refused" certification
The Times of India, Jun 19 2016
Himanshi Dhawan & Mohua Chatterjee
The controversy over Udta Punjab has barely died down when another Anurag Kashyap production has run in to rough weather.The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has refused to certify Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer `Haraamkhor' objecting to its theme which deals with a studentteacher romance. The filmmakers now plan to approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. The Censor Board has “refused“ certification on the grounds that a teacher is a “respectable figure in our society“ and the film shows an illicit relationship between a teacher and a teenage student. “There are many filthy dialogues spoken by kids and body gestures of the kids were also found to be objectionable. Kids commit ting crime etc does not merit any certificate to the film.Hence, `refused' because of its theme itself,“ the CBFC letter said.
When asked, Kashyap confirmed that the producers were planning to appeal to FCAT against the CBFC decision.
The film, directed by Shlok Sharma, is a love story that revolves around a delicate relationship between a school teacher in a small Gujarati town and his teenage female student. It has been produced by Kashyap and Guneet Monga under the Sikhya Entertainment banner.
Haraamkhor was premiered in the 15th annual New York Indian Film Festival and Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA).
Nawazuddin Siddiqui received the best actor award for the film at the New York Indian Film Festival.
Sources said that the board's examining committee had a problem with the fact that a love affair between a teacher and student was being depicted when teachers are revered in India. Filmmakers pointed out that such themes had been explored in several films earlier and it was disturbing that the board was over-reaching in its functions to sit on judgement over social issues.
CBFC and its chief Pahlaj Nihalani in particular have come under fire recently over attempts to censor the film `Udta Punjab' based on the drug menace in the state.The film was finally cleared for certification after the Bombay HC intervened.
Certifications arbitrarily softened
The Times of India, Jun 13 2016
Himanshi Dhawan
Tribunal slams CBFC's `arbitrary' film certifications In a strongly worded order, the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) has pulled up the censor board for “arbitrary and capricious“ approach in changing the certification of several films from adult to UA (which can be watched by all age groups with adult supervision). In its order dated May 24, the FCAT headed by Justice (retd) S K Mahajan listed 16 films including Dirty Picture, Dum Maro Dum, Desi Boyz, Heroine, NH 10, Badlapur, Hate Story 2 and 3 and said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had changed the films' category without any explanation or transparency .
CBFC set up in 1961, P 11 “We find that CBFC has been arbitrarily taking decisions about change of category without in any manner specifying as which guidelines are followed... In our view, the whole approach of the CBFC is totally arbitrary and capricious. Decisions are taken by the CBFC without any transparency and without even informing the applicants as to why the certificate has been refused,“ the FCAT said.
The order comes close on the heels of public criticism of censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani's decision to give 89 cuts to the movie Udta Punjab including references to the state and its cities with an adult certificate which many alleged was a politically motivated decision.On Friday , the Bombay HC rapped the censor board and asked it to stick to its job of certification rather than censorship.
The FCAT order is related to Hindi film Yaara Silly Silly that had been given an A certificate in January for “derogatory , vulgar and double meaning dialogues“. The producer wanted to show the film on TV and made certain voluntary cuts to get a UA certificate but the CBFC rejected the application. The filmmaker then approached the FCAT.
The tribunal noted that the CBFC had not responded to its letters seeking comments but in another matter had asked FCAT to indicate provision regarding conversion of film from A or UA. There is no provision in the Cinematography Act but a facility provided by CBFC to the film industry through an executive order.
100 cuts for Gujarati film on caste quotas
The Times of India, Jun 14 2016
Ashish Chauhan
Censors' 100 reservations hit Gujarat quota film release
The makers of Bollywood movie `Udta Punjab' may have heaved a sigh of relief on Monday , but the struggle for artistic freedom against the censor board continues for the makers of a Gujarati movie, `Salagto Sawaal Anamat' (Burning Question of Reservation). Questioning the motive of the film-makers in picking the emotive theme, and raising concerns over the protagonist's resemblance to Patel quota activist Hardik Patel, who faces sedition charges, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) last week suggested 100 cuts tothe film.
The film's co-producer Jaypratapsinh Chauhan said they immediately filed an appeal against the decision before a review committee of the board, which will hear the plea.
The film, produced on a modest budget, was slated for release on June 17, the same day as `Udta Punjab'.“We will have to delay the re lease now,“ said director Rajesh Gohil, who has made seven Gujarati films.
The cuts include removal of the word `Patidar' or `Patel' from each and every scene as well as content evocative of the quota agitation.Also, the film-makers were asked to remove references to B R Ambedkar.
“This is an attempt to curb the freedom of expression and creativity . I tried to convince them that the film is not exactly based on Hardik Patel. But they argued that the protagonist looked similar to the jailed quota leader,“ Gohil said.
“The censor board member had told us that since a case of sedition is pending against Hardik, we cannot glorify his character. This is not true because my film is based on the quota agitation, not Hardik,“ Gohil added.The film talks about Dipak Patel, who faces hardships due to the existing reservation system.
In no mood to cut a single scene, the film-makers are prepared to move court. “If I will remove the word `Patidar', the soul of the film will be gone,“ Gohil said.
2017
Babumoshai Bandookbaz
BOARD OF ROWS - CBFC rates film `A', also seeks 48 cuts, August 3, 2017: The Times of India
Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani waded into yet another controversy on Wednesday after it emerged that he had demanded 48 cuts for a Bollywood film despite having granted it an `adults A only' or ` ' certificate. The movie, `Babumoshai Bandookbaz', features intimate scenes between actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bidita Bag.
The Indian Film and TV Directors Association (IFTDA) organised a presser on Wednesday in support of director Kushan Nandy , and actor Aamir Khan said the job of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is to certify films, not censor them.
Nandy told, “The examining committee handed us a list of 48 cuts, including cuss words, intimate scenes and some abuses that are integral to the script. I said I will lose 80% of my film at this rate. So I approached Nihalani and said I would like to appeal against the decision before the board's revising committee headed by him.Imagine my shock when he retorted that he would double the number of cuts. Take it or leave it, he said.“
Producer Kiran Shroff also alleged that a board member passed offensive remarks when she asked for the reason behind the cuts. “ A lady officer turned to me and said, Aap aurat hokar aisi filmein ` kaise bana sakti hain (How can you as a woman make such films)?' And before I could speak up, a man on the committee said, `But she is not a woman. Look at what she is wearing,'“ Shroff claimed.
Censoring Amartya Sen
CBFC wants no `cow' in Amartya film, stirs a row|Jul 13 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)
Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate and author of `The Argumentative Indian', led the chorus of angry voices that questioned the censor board's intent and interest in demanding the wipeout of words like “cow“, “Gujarat“, “Hindu India“ and “Hindutva view of India“ from a documentary film revolving around conversations between Sen and Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the UPA-2 regime. Sen said the Central Board of Film Certification's move settled a key question in his mind: whether such bodies appointed by the Centre acted in the interest of the nation or in the interest of the ruling party . “I think this incident offers a fairly clear answer,“ he said on Wednesday .
Celebrities like poet Sankha Ghosh, actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay and author Nabaneeta Dev Sen came down heavily on the board for its “attack on freedom of expression“. “Every single voice of the opposition is being muzzled. Now, Dr Amartya Sen. If somebody of his stature cannot express himself freely , what hope does the common citizen have!“ CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted.
Sen remarked the CBFC's actions were a reflection of the authoritarian regime that currently ruled the country. “The regime wants to use these bodies (CBFC) that are meant to be bodies of the state rather than the government to act in the interest of the the ruling party. It tells you about the way democracy is being interpreted by ruling party“ Many view the CBFC's actions as being part of the Centre's proxy war against Sen, who has been critical of demonetisation and has often taken on PM Modi for the Guj Argumentative Inarat riots. ` dian' director Suman Ghosh did not rule out the Sen's presence in the documentary as being one of the reasons for CBFC's hypersensitivity .
CBFC officials brushed aside the remarks. “We have not refused certification. The panel has approved the documentary for `U' certification with some amendments.“
Ghosh intends to appeal to the revising committee. If still dissatisfied, the filmmaker can approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal.
`Communal tension helps BJP in polls'
A martya Sen linked the recent communal flare-up in Bengal to BJP's attempts to capture states ruled by the opposition, adding that the Hindu-Muslim tension fuelled its Hindutva strategy and favoured it in elections. But, he also cautioned that perceived appeasement of Muslims in Bengal could end up harming the community. “Right now, BJP is on the offensive to try to capture those states that it did not manage to capture, Bengal is one of them.“ TNN
Shunyota
Priyanka Dasgupta, Bengal censors refuse to clear notebandi film, March 29, 2017: The Times of India
The Kolkata office of the Central Board of Film Certification has refused to certify a film based on demonetisation, and sent it to chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani for clearance.The film was scheduled for release.
Regional officer Ajoy Mahmia said that Suvendu Ghosh's `Shunyota' was referred to Nihalani according to the rulebook as there were differences among the members of the examining committee.
However, the director has accused CBFC of delaying certification since the film opposes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation drive, which, it claimed, has had a “catastrophic effect on several people“. Ghosh had approached CBFC for certification on March 16.
The film's plot revolves around a writer who is releas ing a book with three stories that revolve around the demonetisation excercise.
The filmmaker had already received separate censor certificates for the first two stories, which were submitted as documentaries. A 24-minutelong film titled `Shunyota', and another 23-minute-long film, `Shunyota 2' were certified by Nilanjana Roy and Ajoy Mahmia as UA (Parental guidance) and U (suitable for every one), respectively . “Since the board had given me clearance for the documentaries, I never thought there would be an issue when I added another story and tried to get certification for a 105-minute feature film,“ Ghosh said.
Insisting that he is not antiBJP , the director said, “The CBFC has developed cold-feet fearing that certifying a film on demonetisation might not go down well with the Union ministry . Since CM Mamata Banerjee had strongly opposed demonetisation, the Kolkata office doesn't want to take the risk of certifying a film on the subject and is passing the buck. I wear no political colour, but I would definitely want to show my film to Banerjee.“
Cleared with six cuts
Priyanka Dasgupta, CBFC clears notebandi film with six cuts , April 1, 2017: The Times of India
Three days after the regional branch of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sent a film based on demonetisation to chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani for clearance, director Suvendu Ghosh was called over to the Board's Kolkata office on Friday and told that his film, Shunyota, had been cleared for UA certification with six cuts.
Ghosh was asked to mute or delete dialogues and sequences critical of the note ban.
“The chairperson of CBFC has decided the matter. The movie was cleared as per the recommendations of the examining committee. The majority decision of the committee was upheld by the chairperson,“ said Ajoy Mahmia, the regional officer of CBFC Kolkata.
The director has been as ked to delete a 10-second sequence in which one of the characters says he can't accept the “procession of death“ ( mrityur michchil ) following demonetisation, and a shot where a money-lender laments how the government has created a lot of difficulty for the poor. The CBFC has also sought muting of the words `gatar' (body) and `subi' (sleep) and three other statements critical of the Centre's demonetisation drive. “These cuts only prove that the government wants to silence any voice protesting demonetisation,“ said Ghosh.
Omprakash Zindabad: ‘Don’t summarily reject certification for films’
Swati Mathur, Tribunal says don't refuse to clear films summarily, June 3, 2017: The Times of India
The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) has advised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to not summarily reject certification for films if they can be passed with cuts, deletions, modifications or additions. The FCAT said such an approach will save producers “avoidable expenses“ and also the tendency to appeal before the FCAT, “which of late has shown a rising trend“.
The FCAT made the observation while allowing the appeal of Khalid Kidwai, director of Hindi feature film `Rambhajjan Zindabad', against the CBFC refusing its certification.Following FCAT's intervention, the movie, actor Om Puri's last film before he died, has been rechristened `Omprakash Zindabad', and has been recommended for ` A ' certificate.
Speaking to TOI on the matter, CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihlani said, “I disagree with the procedures that are followed to grant these approvals by FCAT. First, FCAT should see the same version of the film that was shown to CBFC to offer its opinion. Second, according to the rules, CBFC is not mandated to suggest cuts to films; it is up to producers to make the changes...“ Despite his “objections“, Nihlani said, “The `A' certificate will be issued to the film.
Censoring Amartya Sen
CBFC wants no `cow' in Amartya film, stirs a row
The Times of India, july 13 2017
“Kolkata: Times News Network”
Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate and author of `The Argumentative Indian', led the chorus of angry voices that questioned the censor board's intent and interest in demanding the wipeout of words like “cow“, “Gujarat“, “Hindu India“ and “Hindutva view of India“ from a documentary film revolving around conversations between Sen and Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the UPA-2 regime. Sen said the Central Board of Film Certification's move settled a key question in his mind: whether such bodies appointed by the Centre acted in the interest of the nation or in the interest of the ruling party . “I think this incident offers a fairly clear answer,“ he said on Wednesday .
Celebrities like poet Sankha Ghosh, actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay and author Nabaneeta Dev Sen came down heavily on the board for its “attack on freedom of expression“. “Every single voice of the opposition is being muzzled. Now, Dr Amartya Sen. If somebody of his stature cannot express himself freely , what hope does the common citizen have!“ CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted.
Sen remarked the CBFC's actions were a reflection of the authoritarian regime that currently ruled the country. “The regime wants to use these bodies (CBFC) that are meant to be bodies of the state rather than the government to act in the interest of the the ruling party. It tells you about the way democracy is being interpreted by ruling party“ Many view the CBFC's actions as being part of the Centre's proxy war against Sen, who has been critical of demonetisation and has often taken on PM Modi for the Guj Argumentative Inarat riots. ` dian' director Suman Ghosh did not rule out the Sen's presence in the documentary as being one of the reasons for CBFC's hypersensitivity . CBFC officials brushed aside the remarks. “We have not refused certification. The panel has approved the documentary for `U' certification with some amendments.“ Ghosh intends to appeal to the revising committee. If still dissatisfied, the filmmaker can approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal.
`Communal tension helps BJP in polls'
A martya Sen linked the recent communal flare-up in Bengal to BJP's attempts to capture states ruled by the opposition, adding that the Hindu-Muslim tension fuelled its Hindutva strategy and favoured it in elections. But, he also cautioned that perceived appeasement of Muslims in Bengal could end up harming the community. “Right now, BJP is on the offensive to try to capture those states that it did not manage to capture, Bengal is one of them.“ TNN
Chiefs, Central Board for Film Certification
2014-17: the Pahlaj Nihalani era
Controversies
Banned the release of 'Un-Freedom'
Pahlaj Nihalani banned 'Un-Freedom', a film by Raj Kumar Amit which tells a story of a liberal Muslim girl who gets kidnapped by terrorists and which simultaneously follows a parallel story of a lesbian relationship. Filmmakers like Vikram Bhatt, Sanjay Gupta and Hansal Mehta spoke out against this and condemned such actions.
Fellow CBFC member Ashoke Pandit called it a "sad event" as this decision was taken without the board's consent.
Chopped the kissing from 'Bond franchise’
Pahlaj Nihalani stirred up a storm when he trimmed a kissing scene from the 'James Bond' film 'Spectre'. The CBFC and its chief had to brave a wave of criticism from fans of the franchise, the movie going audience, members of the film industry and also the media. Nihalani raised many eyebrows when he confessed in an interview that he had not watched the film (or the Bond franchise), but insisted that the cuts were made according to the “rules".
Passes sex comedies like 'Mastizaade' and 'Kya Kool Hai Hum 3' to shed 'sanskari' image
Pahlaj Nihalani, who earned the tag - 'sanskari' - for trimming kissing scenes and demanding verbal cuts in films, got into trouble for passing the trailers and adult-comedy movies like 'Mastizaade' and 'Kya Kool Hai Hum 3'. According to reports, these movies had a lot of vulgarity in their scenes and dialogues, but they were let off scot-free.
When quizzed about it, he reportedly said that the board did it to shed its 'sanskari' image. He even went on to say that the board faces backlashes whether or not they pass or cut down objectionable content.
Pahlaj Nihalani gets trapped in the eye of the 'Udta Punjab' storm
The Censor Board headed by Pahlaj Nihalani made headlines asked for demanding an estimated 94 cuts in the film 'Udta Punjab', starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh. The demand had the entire film industry and fans up in arms against the Chief. While fans and movie lovers demanded his replacement, filmmakers called this shocking move a curb on their 'freedom of expression'. The Bombay High Court had to step in and motion the CBFC to pass the film with just one cut and new certificates to be given in two days.
Pahlaj Nihalani refuses to certify 'Lipstick Under My Burkha’
The CBFC led by Pahlaj Nihalani refused to certify the internationally acclaimed film 'Lipstick Under My Burkha'.
According to reports, the board refused to pass the film as it was lady oriented, had a number of sexual scenes, audio pornography and spoke about a particular section of the society. However, the director Alankrita Shrivastava took this matter to Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) which ordered the board to give the film an 'A' certificate and clear it for release. The film was released on 21 July 2017.
Pahlaj Nihalani raises objection against use of 'intercourse' in SRK's 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' trailer
Pahlaj Nihalani expressed his discontent over the use of word 'intercourse' in the second trailer of Shah Rukh Khan's film 'Jab Harry Met Sejal'. He said the trailer had not been censored and that it had been broadcasted on television channels.
However, after facing a backlash from all the quarters, he said in an interview, "I want 1 lakh votes and I want to see that India has changed and Indian families want their 12-year-old kids to understand the meaning of this word (intercourse)." Adding to this he said, "I'd accept votes only from people who are married and above the age of 36."
End of the era
Nihalani's tenure cut, Joshi new censor chief , Aug 12, 2017 : The Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Centre issued marching orders to controversy-prone Central Board of Film Certification chairman Pahlaj Nihalani and replaced him with lyricist and adman Prasoon Joshi for a three-year term.
CBFC member Ashoke Pandit, among the loudest critics of Nihalani, has also been dropped from the board with immediate effect.
The decision follows the assessment in the government that Nihalani was attracting unwarranted controversy over decisions relating to cuts in films and the board had become a source of harassment for filmmakers. The board was seen as obstructionist rather than a facilitator and its decisions were being seen as having the government's backing.
Nihalani is understood to have been sounded out about his replacement a few weeks back and did not take the news well. The government has been keen on ensuring a smooth transition and on Friday finally reconstituted the censor board. TOI had first reported the move to replace Nihalani on July 25.
The board now comprises Bollywood actor Vidya Balan, Tamil actors Gautami Tadimalla and Jeevitha Rajashekhar, author Narendra Kohli, director-producer Naresh Chandra Lal and Vivek Agnihotri, award-winning concert pianist and Hindi music director Neil Herbert Nongkynrih, National School of Drama director Waman Kendre, Kannada film director T S Nagabharana, and dialogue-writer Mihir Bhuta as members. The ministry also appointed Ramesh Patange and former BJP secretary and theatre artist Vani Tripathi Tikoo as CBFC members of three-year tenures.
Nihalani was seen on his way out following a meeting of Board members in Thiruvananthpuram in July. Sources in the ministry said Nihalani's removal follows several months of feedback received by the information and broadcasting ministry from the film industry, which cited sustained harassment at the hands of the CBFC chief. The industry also suggested that Nihalani, as chief of the film certification board, had showed a propensity to be censor with a heavy hand.
The ministry was "very uncomfortable" with Nihalani's recent attempts to monopolise the Board's activities when faced by opposition from within. This, along with the embarrassment he caused to the government resulted in the ministry seeking the PMO's sanction to send Nihalani packing, and bring in Prasoon Joshi, who enjoys considerable credibility within the industry, as a replacement.
Seen as capable of protecting the ethos of Indian cinema, Joshi also enjoys the image of being a government sympathiser. The lyricist and advertising specialist had worked on BJP's election campaign during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. He had also kept clear of the film industry's 'intolerance brigade' which attacked the NDA government on issues like FTII, and for a ban on AIB, among other things.
Director Kushan Nandy, whose film 'Babumoshai Bandookbaaz' was recently awarded 48 cuts by the Censor Board, spoke to TOI about Nihalani's dismissal. Nandy had written to I&B minister Smriti Irani to air his grievance, especially after board members made offensive personal remarks to producer Kiran Shyam Shroff's face during a meeting on June 28.
Nandy said, "This (the dismissal) is a positive step. It makes me feel that the government, the people who are authorised to take action, have finally done so. But this is not the final solution. It does not mean happy days are here again. The fact remains that the (Cinematograph) Act that is being read dates back to 1952. It is a 65-year-old Act that is ambiguous and leaves room for interpretation. So somebody who is arrogant, like Nihalani, can sit in the Censor chief's chair and play God and interpret the Act in his own way."
Nandy also said CBFC is a certifying body, not one that can instruct people what to watch what not to watch.
Pocso Act offences
HC: Why were Pocso Act offences not censored?
March 21, 2017: The Times of India
POCSO= Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act
Madras HC summons censors after girl claims films influenced her to elope
A minor girl's claim that she hit upon the idea of eloping with her boyfriend after watching some “impressive scenes“ in films has earned the Madras high court's wrath for the entire film censor board. The high court, holding poorly censored films responsible for obscenity in cinema and saying that this in turn had adverse effects on the youth, has summoned the `heads of the censor boards' to be present before it on March 27. “They are directed to appear before court on March 27 for the purpose of explaining to the court as to why necessary action should not be taken against the censor board who are responsible for exhibiting such kind of cinemas involving Pocso Act offences,“ said a division bench of Justice S Nagamuthu and Justice Anita Sumanth.
See also
Censorship of cinema: India
Central Board of Film Certification: India
