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Pahlaj Nihalani on awarding ‘Befikre’ a UA certificate

Befikre first look 340x

It appears that after Bombay High Court overturned a decision by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to stay the release of ‘Udta Punjab’ (2016) earlier this year, the Board may have started becoming more lenient in it’s approach of reviewing films. The censor board’s latest decision to award Aditya Chopra’s ‘Befikre’ a ‘UA’ certificate has raised eyebrows, given that all kissing scenes between stars Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor have been  deemed permissible.

According to DNA, when asked for an explanation on the seemingly liberal approach adopted by CBFC, chairman Pahlaj Nihalani commented, “Firstly, there is a difference in the intention and purpose of the kisses in Befikre and the ones you mention in the earlier films (Tamasha, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil). Those earlier kisses were very intimate and sexual in nature, and also shot in lingering close-ups. In Befikre the kisses are used as signs of affection warmth and kinship. And they are not shot in close-ups. That makes a helluva difference in terms of impact.”

Nihalani also justified the decision based on the film’s intent to appeal to a wider audience, outside of India. “I feel Befikre reflects a global attitude to public affection. Aditya Chopra has made a film that will appeal to young people all across the world regardless of creed, class, culture, colour and race. In that sense Befikre is not reflective of Indian values per se . It’s not a mirror of the Indian middle-class sanskaar. It’s more about how the young, even young Indians, behave when they are abroad and are brought up with different values…See, in India kissing in public is still taboo. But in Paris it’s openly done.It’s an accepted form of affection not just for couples in love but also a form greeting between two friends when they meet .We can’t apply our own cultural rules to people outside.”

‘Befikre’ is scheduled for release on 9th December.