Pahlaj Nihalani: There is no respect for the Censor Board!

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta's apprehensions about his new film Aligarh have left the Censor chief fuming in defence.
Hansal Mehta, who's just wrapped up shooting for his new film Aligarh, was quoted as saying in interviews that he was hopeful his film, that deals with homosexuality, will be passed by the censor board without glitches.

As innocuous as that comment reads, CBFC (Censor Board Of Film Certification) chief Pahlaj Nihalani hasn't taken kindly to it.

Questioning filmmakers’ tendency to jump the gun and presume that there will be trouble for their film is, according to Nihalani, 'a sign of growing insecurity among certain groups of filmmakers who specialise in cinema with shock value.'

"By talking about the homosexual theme of his film, Hansal Mehta is deliberately drawing attention to the supposedly bold theme and how risky it is for him to venture into it.

"But when have we, in the Censor Board, ever said we are against bold films? As for films showing a gay relationship, we’ve just certified Shonali Bose’s Margarita With A Straw

which contains explicit lovemaking scenes.

"We’ve repeatedly said that the certification process will be film-specific. We’ll look at the content of every film individually," Nihalani explained.

Describing Mehta's fear as attention-seeking, Nihalani added, “Let his film be completed. Let him submit it for a censor certificate. Why jump to a conclusion even before the censor board has watched the film?”

Nihalani is also worried about the growing paranoia of certain filmmakers about the censor board.

"There is no respect for the censor's decisions. In every interview, producer Mukesh Bhatt decribed Mr X as a ‘U’ film (film for all ages) when in fact the CBFC had granted it a ‘UA’ (with parental guidance).

"Why come to the censor board then? If there is no respect for our certification, filmmakers might as well certify their pictures themselves.”

Aligarh stars Rajkummar Rao and Manoj Bajpayee in central roles.

Rao and Mehta's previous collaboration Shahid fetched the duo two National Awards.

Image: Pahlaj Nihalani