It's becoming a joke: Kabir on Lipstick Under My Burkha row
Reacting to 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' being denied certification by censor board, director Kabir Khan said, "Oh god, not again! It is becoming a bit of a joke." He added that it seems every two months, the CBFC has made it a habit to do something completely stupid like this. The film has already been showcased at Tokyo Film Festival.
Director Kabir Khan lashed out at the Central Board of Film Certification and its chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani over the CBFC's denial of a certificate for Alankrita Srivastava's film, Lipstick Under My Burkha. Ironically, the film has won several awards internationally, including laurels for gender equality. The film was also widely celebrated at the Tokyo Film Festival and MAMI (Mumbai Film Festival) last year.Speaking exclusively to India Today, Kabir Khan said that his first reaction to the news was, "Oh god, not again! It is becoming a bit of a joke." The man behind blockbusters like Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan said that every two months, the CBFC had made it a habit to do something completely stupid like this.Kabir, whose next Bollywood outing will be Salman Khan-starrer Tubelight, added that the time had come for the film industry to unite and protest for their rights. He took on Pankaj Nihalani and called him an adamant man, saying that it was incorrect for Nihalani or a group of people to dictate what people must see and what they shouldn't.Infact, the director even mocked Nihalani for deciding the duration of James Bond's onscreen kiss on screen. Kabir is of the view that even if the film is not celebrated or directed by a newcomer, it has the right to release. One can always communicate proposed cuts with filmmakers, however a blanket ban on the film's release was absolutely unacceptable and a threat to our freedom of expression.The CBFC's refusal to issue a certificate to Lipstick Under My Burkha, starring Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, was because "the story is lady oriented, their fantasy above life."Actor Tisca Chopra also slammed the CBFC's decision. An outraged Tisca told India Today, "We have become a laughing stock around the world with this piece of news. I am appalled. This is unacceptable. The reason given for denying the certificate is absolutely absurd. What century are we living in?"Meanwhile, MP Milind Deora tweeted, "#PahlajNihalani certainly isn't aiding the government's cause of "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance". Certify #CBFC, don't censor."#PahlajNihalani certainly isn't aiding the government's cause of "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance". Certify #CBFC, don't censor ð??¥â??ï¸?OPINION: Dear Censor Board, stop shoving sanskaar down our throats