Nandana Sen
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 14, 2017)

The war of words between the Censor Board and filmmaker Suman Ghosh over his documentary, The Argumentative Indian, has heated up. Infamous for its regressive attitude, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) ordered Ghosh to beep out the words cow, Hindu, Hindutva and Gujarat from the documentary on Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.

When mid-day contacted Sen’s daughter, Nandana, the actress expressed shock at the latest directive. Sen said, “It’s laughable, really, and rather embarrassing for the Censor Board. I think they look extremely foolish and insecure with this move.”

While the CBFC has received a lot of flak for its decision, chairman Pahlaj Nihalani remains undeterred. “This is our job... The director or producer can go to the Tribunal or the advisory committee [if they object].”

Meanwhile, Ghosh refused to adhere to the cuts suggested by the board, saying he will move the Court if the need arises. When mid-day connected with Ghosh yesterday, the director said he wouldn’t abide by the demands of the Board. “I have put my foot down and conveyed it to them that I will make no changes,” he had said.