Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 3, 2017)

An allegation of gender misconduct by the makers of the upcoming Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Babumoshai Bandookbaaz has opened up a new can of worms for the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC). The makers claim that the film’s female producer Kiran Shroff was “humiliated” by members of the board for her choice of subject and clothes she wore during the censor screening.

The film’s director Kushan Nandy says, “After the screening, one of the board members commented on my producer’s clothes.”

Kushan adds that he met the CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani who “threatened” him with more cuts. “He told me I had two options. I could either go to the Revising Committee where I’d be given even more cuts or I could take my film to the Tribunal. I chose the latter option. He spoke to me in an arrogant tone. I tried to reason with him about the cuts. One of the dialogues that his Examining Committee ordered out drew an inference to an erection. But I pointed out to Mr Nihalani that he had shot a whole song called Khada Hai 20 years ago in celebration of an erection. But he wouldn’t hear any of it,” says Kushan.

But a livid Nihalani has a completely different story to tell. “Kushan is lying. No untoward incident happened with his producer. If that was the case, why didn’t he mention the incident when he met me? Yes, he met me after his film was rejected by our Examining Committee for what he calls a ‘private meeting’.”

He adds, “He tried to intimidate me and get the cuts in his film restored by using his political connections.” Nihalani feels Kushan is being provoked into badmouthing him. “Since I was brought in as the chairperson, these handful of team members have been working against the CBFC’s interests. They want to project themselves as the liberal forces, never mind if they end up flouting CBFC guidelines and rules,” says Nihalani.