‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ director about being treated like “criminal” over CBFC treatment

With the release of ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ edging closer, the director of the film Alankrita Shrivastava has opened up about how she felt when the film was under scrutiny by CBFC chief, Pahlaj Nihalani.

Talking to Filmfare, she said, “The Examining Committee was divided in its opinion, so we approached the Revising Committee. Nihalani, who was present at the screening, made me feel like a criminal.”

Nihalani has since responded to her comments, saying, “These are tactics to draw attention to her film. You tell me, what’s the only point of curiosity about the film? That the [CBFC] Examining Committee rejected her film? She has been cashing in on that for months now,” he said while adding that he did not use the term ‘lady-oriented’. He further added, “She is a liar. I was never aloof, rude or uppity with her… I very clearly remember asking her to sit. She didn’t respond. I told her that her film was rejected by the Examining Committee. She said she knew that would happen. It was a civil, to-the-point conversation. How did it make her feel like a criminal? I fail to see why she continues to flog the CBFC and me to get her film noticed, rather than have people talk about it for its intrinsic merit. Does the film have anything else to recommend itself other than the fact that it was questioned by the Censor Board?”

Shrivastava added, “Let him say whatever he wants, as I have nothing against him. All I’m saying is that the whole idea and procedure of censorship should be thrown out of the window. In a democracy, the certification process can’t be a situation where you [a filmmaker] have to feel like you have to protect your film. It should just be a matter-of-fact procedure. There needs to be a situation where it’s a normal thing and not like you are constantly worried [about] what are they going to do to [the] film.”

‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ releases on Friday 21st July.