Censor board clips wings of Udta Punjab; makers to move High Court
8:14 AM
Remove Punjab From Title, Makers Told
Rohan Dua (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 7, 2016)
A huge political battle has
broken out between SAD-BJP alliance government and the opposition after
the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) on Monday asked the
producers to drop 'Punjab' from the title of the film 'Udta Punjab'.
This is the second time that the film has left the board queasy. On May
26 it had objected the excessive use of profanities in the film and
sought 89 cuts to give it a 'U/A' certificate.
While CBFC member Ashoke Pandit criticised his own colleagues for “embarking on dangerous territory of hemming creative freedom“, AAP and Congress slammed the government for being behind the “censorship move“. With assembly elections in January 2017 in Punjab and drugs being an extremely sensitive political subject, politicians seem divided on the impact the film can have on the polls. The film's producer Anurag Kashyap said in Mumbai that “if any film is changed slightly, it is Qatl-e-Aam of it. No filmmaker wants to have cuts and leave it at that.“
“The Akali Dal knows the movie with big stars like Shahid and Kareena will put drugs in the centre stage of the political debate ahead of polls. So first, they tried to politely use censorship by pressurising the filmmakers to remove abuses from the script and then this... We will take this issue to Parliament and not allow this move,“ said Partap Bajwa, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former state party chief.
SAD, however, maintained that it would welcome the movie screening as long as the Punjabi community was not defamed. “We have got no control over such decisions. As we said in the past, we will continue to welcome this movie as long as no party or the Punjab community is slammed. If the film is about a societal issue, only then we welcome it,“ said SAD MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha from Amritsar.
Pandit, who was not part of the film's screening team, said the film-makers have no option but to first approach the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) and then the SC. “I don't know whether there is political pressure behind this decision, but I can say it's a rank undemocratic move by the review committee. Haven't we had movies like 'Bombay' and 'Mission Kashmir' before? Someone needs to stand up against the symptomatic harassment and attempts to curb freedom of expression,“ said Pandit.
“It's very absurd that the trailer of the film was cleared for release by the censors but not the film. This is a joke and I want to know what Shyam Benegal has to say and all the promises that were made. If the state government or a political party has a problem, let them go to the court. Why should a statutory board get into this? How can you question the integrity of a serious issue based film instead of sorting the drug problem in Punjab?“ he asked.
Actor and AAP worker Gul Panag, who belongs to Punjab, said that it was strange that CBFC was trying to censor things that are already in public domain. “Besides creative freedom should never be impinged, when its delivering a social message,“ said Panag.
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MUMBAI MIRROR (June 7, 2016)
While CBFC member Ashoke Pandit criticised his own colleagues for “embarking on dangerous territory of hemming creative freedom“, AAP and Congress slammed the government for being behind the “censorship move“. With assembly elections in January 2017 in Punjab and drugs being an extremely sensitive political subject, politicians seem divided on the impact the film can have on the polls. The film's producer Anurag Kashyap said in Mumbai that “if any film is changed slightly, it is Qatl-e-Aam of it. No filmmaker wants to have cuts and leave it at that.“
“The Akali Dal knows the movie with big stars like Shahid and Kareena will put drugs in the centre stage of the political debate ahead of polls. So first, they tried to politely use censorship by pressurising the filmmakers to remove abuses from the script and then this... We will take this issue to Parliament and not allow this move,“ said Partap Bajwa, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former state party chief.
SAD, however, maintained that it would welcome the movie screening as long as the Punjabi community was not defamed. “We have got no control over such decisions. As we said in the past, we will continue to welcome this movie as long as no party or the Punjab community is slammed. If the film is about a societal issue, only then we welcome it,“ said SAD MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha from Amritsar.
Pandit, who was not part of the film's screening team, said the film-makers have no option but to first approach the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) and then the SC. “I don't know whether there is political pressure behind this decision, but I can say it's a rank undemocratic move by the review committee. Haven't we had movies like 'Bombay' and 'Mission Kashmir' before? Someone needs to stand up against the symptomatic harassment and attempts to curb freedom of expression,“ said Pandit.
“It's very absurd that the trailer of the film was cleared for release by the censors but not the film. This is a joke and I want to know what Shyam Benegal has to say and all the promises that were made. If the state government or a political party has a problem, let them go to the court. Why should a statutory board get into this? How can you question the integrity of a serious issue based film instead of sorting the drug problem in Punjab?“ he asked.
Actor and AAP worker Gul Panag, who belongs to Punjab, said that it was strange that CBFC was trying to censor things that are already in public domain. “Besides creative freedom should never be impinged, when its delivering a social message,“ said Panag.
---------------------------
MUMBAI MIRROR (June 7, 2016)
Could this be the last time
we call Abhishek Chaubey's widely talked about drug-drama by its
original title, Udta Punjab? After the film was referred to the Revising
Committee that upheld the Censor Board's recommendation of 89 cuts on
Friday because of “excessive swearing and extreme visuals", adding that
“Punjab“ be dropped from the title and the story be set in a fictional
land instead, the makers have decided to put their foot down and fight
it out in the High Court.
“It is all hearsay. We haven't received an official letter from either the Revising Committee or the I&B Ministry, whom we have already apprised of the situation. We will release the film on the original date, June 17. This is something we have stood by since the beginning,“ one of the film's producers informed Mirror. The review screening, after which it was also suggested that apart from the title, all mentions of the state be removed from the film, was reportedly presided over by Censor Board of Film Certification chief Pahlaj Nihalani.
Meanwhile, Punjab's ruling party Akali Dal, led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Sukhbir Badal, have raised strong objections to the film's title and narrative. The state government is routinely targeted by Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for the growing drug menace in the region. The opposition parties have made it clear that it will also be the top issue in their election campaign. The movie features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh and is produced by Phantom Films and Ekta Kapoor-led Balaji Films.
A source from within the Censor Board informed, “Shyam Benegal's committee report also says the same thing: controversial-gory plotlines should either be released with an 'A' certificate with no cuts, or be banned entirely because cinema does not deserve to be scissored so the makers may have to succumb to pressure in a bid to salvage their film.“
Before the film's team met on Monday evening to plan their next move, reports claimed that they had already decided to knock off “Punjab“ from the title as well as from certain portions from the film.
---------------------------
Reports that the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal might have asked makers of Udta Punjab to drop Punjab from the title spark angry as well as hilarious reactions from netizens
MID-DAY (June 7, 2016)
After being asked to effect nearly 40 cuts in Udta Punjab, the makers had knocked on the doors of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) hoping for some respite. However, amidst reports that the tribunal has suggested that ‘Punjab’ be dropped from the film’s title, social media went berserk with reactions that ranged from angry to hilarious. While the makers are tightlipped about any such development, sources close to the film say that they are awaiting an official communication regarding the same. The film deals with rampant drug abuse in the northern state.
The film starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh was slated to hit theatres on June 17. However, given the censor issues, the release date is likely to be delayed by two weeks or perhaps, more. Interestingly, Censor Board member Ashoke Pandit posted a series of tweets that read, “I as a filmmaker & a citizen of this country condemn d act of asking the producers 2 remove d word ‘Punjab’ from the film. I question the intelligence of the committee which has given this judgement of removing the word ‘Punjab’ from #UdtaPunjab. I as a #CBFC member appeal to the #Chairman to take a call as a filmmaker & protect the FOE of a filmmaker (sic).”
Bollywood folk also joined the debate on Twitter and slammed the alleged decision to change the title. The sarcasm in Ram Gopal Varma’s post was hard to miss as he wrote, “For what it actually represents Udta Punjab Is diminutive.. A more truthful and righteous title would be Udta India or Udta World.” Shirish Kunder tweeted: “You may feel it’s not fair to remove Punjab from Udta Punjab. But wait till Maneka Gandhi tells to remove Tommy from Tommy Singh (name of Shahid’s character)." A large number of netizens seemed outraged and made their disgust as well as frustration obvious through their comments on social media.
Aisi Taisi Democracy posted a tongue- in- cheek tweet: “No drug problem in Punjab No caste problem in India No gun problem in US No dictator problem in N. Korea No denial problem on this planet.”
Twitter user Priya Adivarekar wrote: “Demanding multiple cuts, deleting the main track & other elements. What do you want Udta Punjab to be in the end? A Snapchat video? #Unfair (sic).”
“It is all hearsay. We haven't received an official letter from either the Revising Committee or the I&B Ministry, whom we have already apprised of the situation. We will release the film on the original date, June 17. This is something we have stood by since the beginning,“ one of the film's producers informed Mirror. The review screening, after which it was also suggested that apart from the title, all mentions of the state be removed from the film, was reportedly presided over by Censor Board of Film Certification chief Pahlaj Nihalani.
Meanwhile, Punjab's ruling party Akali Dal, led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Sukhbir Badal, have raised strong objections to the film's title and narrative. The state government is routinely targeted by Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for the growing drug menace in the region. The opposition parties have made it clear that it will also be the top issue in their election campaign. The movie features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh and is produced by Phantom Films and Ekta Kapoor-led Balaji Films.
A source from within the Censor Board informed, “Shyam Benegal's committee report also says the same thing: controversial-gory plotlines should either be released with an 'A' certificate with no cuts, or be banned entirely because cinema does not deserve to be scissored so the makers may have to succumb to pressure in a bid to salvage their film.“
Before the film's team met on Monday evening to plan their next move, reports claimed that they had already decided to knock off “Punjab“ from the title as well as from certain portions from the film.
---------------------------
Reports that the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal might have asked makers of Udta Punjab to drop Punjab from the title spark angry as well as hilarious reactions from netizens
MID-DAY (June 7, 2016)
After being asked to effect nearly 40 cuts in Udta Punjab, the makers had knocked on the doors of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) hoping for some respite. However, amidst reports that the tribunal has suggested that ‘Punjab’ be dropped from the film’s title, social media went berserk with reactions that ranged from angry to hilarious. While the makers are tightlipped about any such development, sources close to the film say that they are awaiting an official communication regarding the same. The film deals with rampant drug abuse in the northern state.
The film starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh was slated to hit theatres on June 17. However, given the censor issues, the release date is likely to be delayed by two weeks or perhaps, more. Interestingly, Censor Board member Ashoke Pandit posted a series of tweets that read, “I as a filmmaker & a citizen of this country condemn d act of asking the producers 2 remove d word ‘Punjab’ from the film. I question the intelligence of the committee which has given this judgement of removing the word ‘Punjab’ from #UdtaPunjab. I as a #CBFC member appeal to the #Chairman to take a call as a filmmaker & protect the FOE of a filmmaker (sic).”
Bollywood folk also joined the debate on Twitter and slammed the alleged decision to change the title. The sarcasm in Ram Gopal Varma’s post was hard to miss as he wrote, “For what it actually represents Udta Punjab Is diminutive.. A more truthful and righteous title would be Udta India or Udta World.” Shirish Kunder tweeted: “You may feel it’s not fair to remove Punjab from Udta Punjab. But wait till Maneka Gandhi tells to remove Tommy from Tommy Singh (name of Shahid’s character)." A large number of netizens seemed outraged and made their disgust as well as frustration obvious through their comments on social media.
Aisi Taisi Democracy posted a tongue- in- cheek tweet: “No drug problem in Punjab No caste problem in India No gun problem in US No dictator problem in N. Korea No denial problem on this planet.”
Twitter user Priya Adivarekar wrote: “Demanding multiple cuts, deleting the main track & other elements. What do you want Udta Punjab to be in the end? A Snapchat video? #Unfair (sic).”
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