Rangoon not showing censor certificate during screening: CBFC
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Pahlaj Nihalani has slammed the film 'Rangoon' for breaching the law by not showing the censor certificate before its screening in theatres. The CBFC was also informed that anti-smoking short films are not being played during the film even though it has scenes featuring substance abuse. "These are serious offences," said Nihalani.
Saif Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut and their latest film Rangoon is in new trouble. The film has rubbed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) the wrong way, as a result of which, it might land in a legal mess.Rangoon, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, is playing in theatres without a censor certificate and the anti-tobacco short films. As a result, the CBFC is mighty miffed with the makers of Rangoon. While on the one hand, Rangoon any which way, hasn't been getting any love at the ticket windows, this will end up adding to the plethora of problems the film is battling.Pahlaj Nihalani, the chairperson of the CBFC, told DNA, "It has been brought to our notice that Rangoon has been playing in theatres across the country and outside India without the censor certificate and without the anti-smoking short films, which are compulsory for all films that show actors smoking and/or drinking. Rangoon had many scenes showing the main leads indulging in serious substance abuse. We asked the makers to put a disclaimer ahead of the opening credits. That disclaimer has gone missing. Now, we have been informed that the anti-smoking films do not play at the beginning and after the intermission. And also that the censor certificate is not flashed at the start, as per law. These are serious offences."The film, which is a love story set against the backdrop of the World War II, stars Saif Ali Khan as film producer Rusi Bilimoria, Kangana Ranaut as the fiesty Miss Julia (a character based on Fearless Nadia), and Shahid Kapoor as Jamadar Nawab Malik of the British Indian Army.Rangoon, said Nihalani, has flouted several rules set by the CBFC. And if found true, the CBFC chairman told the tabloid, action will be taken against the team."We are taking legal action against the digital operators, to begin with. We would not like to point fingers at anyone else for the lapse at this time. It is the digital operators' responsibility to play exactly the length that is shown to us and certified by the CBFC. Not a second more or less of footage must be shown in theatres than what we have certified. The exact length of the film that is shown to us and certified by us is mentioned in the censor certificate. If the anti-smoking films have been removed from the beginning and after intermission and if the censor certificate is not being shown in Rangoon, then, the digital operators are screening less footage than what has been approved by the CBFC. It is a serious offence. We are investigating to see how deep the offence goes," said Nihalani.The CBFC head went on to add, "Maybe some self-appointed intellectuals of our film industry feel it is okay to break the law as long as they can ridicule the jurisdiction of the CBFC." Rangoon's laidback pace and lack of a coherent storyline has been pointed out as reasons behind its worrisome performance at the box office in India. In more than a week of release, Rangoon hasn't even made it to the Rs 50-crore mark in the country.OPINION: Rangoon is a box-office disaster despite good reviews. Why?