The Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC), better known as the Censor Board is in news again. This time for refusing certification to Katrina Kaif and Siddharth Malhotra starrer ‘Baar Baar Dekho’ movie until they removed a lingerie scene from the movie and another scene that referenced Savita Bhabhi, a popular porn comic character in India. The movie was granted a U/A certificate only after these two scenes were deleted.
DNA India, which reported the deletion quoted a source as saying, “We don’t live in times where women’s innerwear is never spoken of in public. In fact, even as late as 1995, there was a scene featuring Kajol in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Moreover, BBD is directed by a woman (Nitya Mehra). To assume she’d use the lingerie scene for titillation is absurd.” The source also questioned the deletion of the scene that referred to Savita Bhabhi. “If a porn reference is objectionable then how come Sunny Leone’s name was used in A Flying Jatt?”
Censor Board, under its chief Pahlaj Nihalani, has been severly criticised for what is perceived as moral policing. It has earlier released a list of words that it had asked movie makers to mute. It also muted the word lesbian in movie Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Trailer of the movie Aligarh was awarded an A certificate by the Board because it said homosexuality was not a topic for kids or teenagers. Makers of the movie ‘Udta Punjab’ had to move the court against the Censor Board to get their movie screened.
The Government had promised to look at ways to remove movie censorship but nothing much has come of that till now.