Censor Board chief behaving like a dictator: Udta Punjab maker

Mumbai : With the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and 'Udta Punjab' producers are at loggerheads over censorship issues, Anurag Kashyap, co-producer of the film, on Tuesday accused Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani of behaving like a "dictator", adding that he had no political pressure to bar the film.

Kashyap, who earlier in the day compared living in India to that of North Korea, said the working style of Nihlani was similar to living under dictatorship.

"Pehlaj Nihlani is behaving like a dictator and it almost feels like you are living in dictatorship, where everybody is telling you what to do and you don't have any right," he added.

Kashyap, whose Phantom Films has co-produced " Udta Punjab" with Balaji Motion Pictures, said Nihlani is yet to give an official letter to the producers regarding the board's objections.

"We want the film to come out intact and we want to fight for it, but we can't do anything about it, because Pahlaj Nihlani hasn't given us an official letter," he said.

"He has told us his objection to the word 'Punjab' and the name of the cities but hasn't made it official," he added.

Kashyap demanded the board's objections in writing from Nihlani so that he could approach the tribunal.

"Everybody is saying go to the tribunal, but how do I go to the tribunal without a letter of grievance. I don't know what grievance I have because he hasn't given me any letter," he added.

When asked if there was a political pressure on Nihlani to bar the film, Kashyap said: "I don't think there is any political pressure on Pahlaj Nihlani."

"Ashok Pandit, Vivek Agnihotri and others people, who are associated with the BJP and Modiji, are fighting on behalf of the film against Nihlani, so I don't think it is politically motivated," he added.

Urging political parties not to engage in politics over the issue, Kashyap said, "A lot of people are trying to turn it into a political excuse and agenda, which I think we are completely abstaining from."

"I just want people to keep their political agenda away from the film," he said.

Kashyap also cautioned that his fight is about a filmmaker versus his government. "This is my fight for right against the government," he added.

Union Minister of State for IB, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had earlier said the filmmakers can approach Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), if they are unsatisfied with the decision.

"The film is now under the reviewing committee and if someone is dissatisfied, they can approach the FCAT of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) headed by a retired justice, which is entirely a different body," Rathore told the media here.

Rathore said in past four to five months, there were instances where few filmmakers were not satisfied with CBFC's decision, and they approached the tribunal and were contended with the decision.