Nihalani faces calls for sack from filmmakers
Film industry rallies behind Kashyap & Co
“I demand on behalf of the entire industry… that the ministry should remove Pahlaj Nihalani,” said Mukesh Bhatt, head of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, alleging a “complete conspiracy to sabotage Udta Punjab”
Stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have lent their voice to the row, stating that censorship would kill creativity and called for the film’s release
Udta Punjab is based on the debilitating drug menace in the state, an issue both AAP and Congress have placed at the centre of their campaigns against the Akali Dal-BJP government in the run-up to Assembly elections early next year
Mumbai/New Delhi, June 8: Censor Board chief nihalani faces calls for sack from filmmakers Wednesday faced heat on multiple fronts in the escalating row over Udta Punjab with demands for his sacking including over his allegation that its maker Anurag Kashyap may have taken money from AAP to make the drug-themed movie.
As the film fraternity rallied behind Kashyap in the censorship row with superstar Amitabh Bachchan saying creativity should not be killed, the producers moved the Bombay High Court seeking a copy of the order passed by the Censor Board’s review committee suggesting “13 changes” and removing references to Punjab in the film.
The producers later said they got a copy of the order. Nihalani said that the producers themselves did not collect the order until Wednesday and instead went to the media making the matter public.
“We met with the producers Monday and told them about the cuts. They said, ‘If we get cuts, will you give us the certificate?’ I said, ‘Of course yes’. But they did not turn up to collect the letter. They directly went to media. Today they came to collect the letter.”
Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt and Anurag Kashyap alleged the Censor Board was intentionally delaying the film’s clearance.
The movie starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh delves into how the youth in Punjab have succumbed to drugs, and is slated for release June 17.The makers also alleged Nihalani deliberately refused to hand them the letter, which mentioned the cuts. Mukesh Bhatt while targeting Nahalani said a person who is a roadblock and not a facilitator should be removed.
“That is something intolerable, unacceptable to film fraternity and we want him out. His move is malicious and vicious. He lies, delays the process and will bully the person,” Mukesh, president of Film and Producers Guild of India, told reporters at a joint news conference in Mumbai that included the cast of the film.
Nihalani’s allegation against Kashyap and AAP set off another war of words. Taking a potshot at Kashyap, who is the face of the fight against the Censor Board, Nihalani claimed he has heard that the filmmaker had taken money from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to show Punjab in bad light. PTI
