Asira Tarannum & Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; January 22, 2014)

Director Hansal Mehta has filed an RTI against Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela and is now planning to file RTI against Madras Café and Grand Masti as well. The director feels that Madras Café, despite its several violent scenes, was granted a U/ A certificate, whereas his recently released film, Shahid, starring Rajkummar Rao, did not get similar certification.

When contacted, Mehta pointed out that there was no graphic violence shown in his film, and yet the censor board insisted on giving Shahid an A certificate. “This, in turn, has jeopardised the satellite rights of my film. I lay low during the film’s release but then I was appalled to see Ram Leela and Madras Café get a U/A certificate in spite of several violent sequences and the generous use of foul language,” he said.

He added that notwithstanding his repeated attempts at getting the censor board to reconsider its certification, the latter is yet to see his film again. “They haven’t watched my film in the past three months, and I find this treatment highly discriminatory,” said Mehta.

The director also shared CBFC’s response to his RTI against Ram Leela on a social networking website. “CBFC gave Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela a U/A certificate which means that several kissing and action scenes were allowed with ‘ parental guidance’. Meanwhile, Shahid featured no kissing, had very little violence and we even offered to replace/mute expletives. Yet we were given an 'A' certificate,” he lamented, adding that the board’s examining committee had also objected to Shivaji Maharaj's name being mentioned in a dialogue even though ‘the film didn’t make any derogatory comments against the king’.