Top header Banner
Top header Banner
Middle top Banner

Madhur Bhandarkar shocked at CBFC decision against ‘Indu Sarkar’

Madhur Bhandarkar is shocked and unimpressed with the CBFC who have asked for 12 cuts and add two disclaimers for his forthcoming film ‘Indu Sarkar’.

Reported in the Times Of India, Bhandarkar who is completely lost for words, said it’s “absurd”. “It’s absurd that names of political leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Morarji Desai and Lal Krishna Advani that appear in a newspaper that someone is reading doesn’t pass muster, nor does that of Jayaprakash Narayan even when it’s just part of a slogan being shouted.”…”Nor for that matter do references to political terms like ‘Akali’, ‘Communist’ and the organisation RSS. It’s really disappointing.”

“But what’s really mind-boggling is that even Kishore Kumar’s name (the singer’s songs were banned on All India Radio on Doordarshan because the he refused to perform at a Congress rally in Mumbai at the time) needs to be dropped!” Proclaimed Bhandarkar.

Prior to submitting the film for the screening, Bhandarkar was already being proactive and was trying to be mindful of the content and carried out voluntary censorship by talking to friends from different political parties to avoid offending or upsetting anyone.

Also it has been requested that certain lines in the film are to be removed and this has totally left the film maker stunned, for example “Ab iss desh mein Gandhi ke maayne badal chuke hain” and “Bharat ki ek beti ne desh ko bandi banaya hua hai” have been shown in trailers since 16th June and now these lines have been disapproved.

“What parameters are they following? What yardstick?” Said the infuriated film maker who is also being questioned on his dedication to the unsung heroes who fought for democracy during Emergency and has been told he needs to add two disclaimers.

However, trouble started brewing a while back when members of the Congress party put up a poster demanding the film was banned in Allahabad and that they would not allow the film to be shown in cinemas. This then fuelled more backlash from other states, the Congress party sent an open letter to Cine Circuit Association and the Cine Grah Sanchalan in Indore and Madhya Pradesh where they have threatened to burn effigies of Bhandarkar and Anupum Kher and vandalise theatres, which would then make it the theatre owners fault.

Congress spokesperson Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “The organisation and the individual who is behind the film is known to us. We totally condemn the false depictions in the film.”

Bhandarkar is not letting this go without a fight. He has decided he will see the Revising Committee to overturn this decision as it’s his “Freedom of expression” that is being suppressed. “I will go to the Revising Committee and then the Tribunal. I’m deeply disappointed.”