The Bollywood film industry and CBFC – the eternal battle continues!
A seemingly harmless movie has been banned since it failed to get any kind of certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification in India – was it too hot to handle for them? 😛
Something similar happened with Fifty Shades of Grey, the movie was also rejected for its over-the-top sex scenes with frontal nudity and sadomasochism.
What is it all about?
- 36-year old director Raj Amit Kumar’s debut film ‘Unfreedom’ which starts actors Adil Hussain and Victor Bannerjee in its key roles espousing has been banned in India since it espouses homosexuality – a topic that is still ‘hush-hush’ in India. :O
- The Florida-based director is highly disappointed with the CBFC since he was unable to get the required clearance from the Appellate Tribunal despite a written appeal. Kumar has languished at the sloppy certification process and has termed it as the snatching of ‘basic human rights’. L
- He vented out his feelings to the media by saying, “What I am experiencing is tyranny, hypocrisy and irony of people… I don’t feel any film should be banned in the country. You can only give strict certification and you can remove certain things or the other depending on that.”
- The film is being floated as contemporary thriller inspired by Faiz Ahmad Faiz’si conic poem, “Ye Dagh Dagh Ujala” in which the lives of two homosexuals is being chronicled over two cities – New York and New Delhi.
- However, the Censor board has emphasized that the movie was denied any certificate by the Examining Committee but it was later being awarded an ‘A’ (adult) certificate by the Revising Committee with minor cuts to which the director refused.
- The director even approached the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) which upheld the ban.
- The film is also being put under ban since it deals with a Hindu-Muslim love angle and features lovemaking scenes between the protagonists of the two religions.
- The film is expected to hit all major North American theaters on May 29 this year.
However, the sad part is Indian audience might not get to see the brilliant work of two highly qualified actors. The board’s argument that the movie can incite enmity between the Hindus and Muslims apart from “igniting unnatural passions.” is totally baseless!
Why not let the audience decide what turns them on and sets their inner beast on fire? 😛
- So many movies with nudity have been awarded ‘A’ certificates with cuts that the real essence of a movie loses its charm. A movie is not porn, dear CBFC!
- Since the film failed to clear all three committees, it is considered banned until the filmmaker decides to move the court, which Kumar has already decided. He is planning to make an appeal to the High Court of Mumbai soon.
- This might just be a ploy on the filmmaker’s part to earn a ban in India and sell the movie blaringly in the offshore locations since he is now plastering a ‘Banned in India’ banner on the movie trailers. So much for accepting criticism! 😛
We hope that justice prevails and that we get to see the work of these fine actors right here in India.
After all, why should the CBFC decide what we want to see? Can’t the movie be passed off with an ‘X’ certificate that most Hollywood movies come with?
Maybe it’s time the ‘X’ certificate is included in the CBFC portfolio…
