CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani has a new fan now. Lauding his work and asking him to keep at it, is Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy. In light of the recent cuts and censorship ordered by Nihalani and his board, Swamy openly appreciated the chief’s efforts.
Bollywood,Tamil etc., films blindly ape public display of decadent West’s mores on sex, justifying even eve teasing. Nihilani keep at it
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 3, 2017
Given that Nihalani has a reputation of disallowing a film’s release without the cuts he deems necessary, his recent order of 48 cuts in Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s upcoming film, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz come as no surprise. The producer of the film, Kiran Shroff, even alleged that Nihalani didn’t mince his words about the film’s fate if orders were not followed.
“You are lucky I’m not banning your film… What are these abuses? Do you plan to make a dictionary of bad words?” he was quoted as saying.
Incidentally, Nihalani’s term is due to end in January 2018. Recent reports suggest that Nihalani’s tenure might be coming to an end sooner than expected, especially after the Kerala High Court’s issue of a contempt of court notice to him for refusing to certify Ka Bodyscapes. Nihalani’s inaction caused the filmmaker a lot of trouble, due to a delay in the film’s release for nine months.
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Nihalani’s tenure at the board has been marred by controversies and conflicts. Many filmmakers have complained that the CBFC chief acts in a high-handed manner, and infringes on their right to freedom of expression and creative pursuit. Films such as An Insignificant Man, Lipstick Under My Burkha, Udta Punjab, Spectre, Phillauri, An Argumentative Indian, Ka Bodyscapes, and Indu Sarkar have all met and crashed against a wall of moral policing by Nihalani. TV Shows, documentaries, film festivals, have also been criticised and censored by Nihalani.
Read: If CBFC Chief Is Fired, This Will Be His Last Controversy
Feature Image: India Today