Not Obligated To Respond: CBFC Chief On Sanjay Nirupam’s Letter

Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani wonders why Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam has penned a letter to the CBFC demanding that Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar — a film based on the Emergency period — be screened for the party ahead of its release to “ensure that our leaders are not shown in a bad light”.

“Why is he asking the CBFC to show him the film? It is not our property for us to show it to him. He should ask the producer or director,” Nihalani said.

Maharashtra Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam has recently penned a letter to Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani, expressing his desire to watch the film before it is screened for the CBFC. Nirupam had written, “The trailer of the film says it’s a film on Emergency and hence, we can see the likes of our beloved leaders like Indira Gandhi ji, Sanjay Gandhi ji and other senior leaders of the India National Congress. We, therefore, want to be certain that our leaders are not shown in bad light and hence, would like to see the film before it’s censored.”

The letter emerged in the media on Tuesday.

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“It seems the media got the letter addressed to me from Mr Nirupam before I did. Before I read the letter to me, it was out in the press. If, as he says, the film is likely to tarnish his leaders, why is he giving the film publicity by releasing the letter to the media,” said Nihalani.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson sees no reason to react to the letter. “We get such letters from any number of individuals and organisations asking us to stop a film from release. We are not obligated to respond.”

The film’s director Madhur Bhandarkar also seems to be in no mood to screen Indu Sarkar for anybody except the CBFC. In an exclusive interview with Koimoi, the filmmaker said, “There is no question of showing the film. It has to be seen by the Censor Board because there is an authority, the CBFC is authorised by the government of India. They will see the film. Let them decide it. Why would I show it to some political party?”

Indu Sarkar releases on 28th July.