He wears many hats, including those of a noted lyricist, advertising guru as well as a talented singer. But the job which Prasoon Joshi finds the toughest to do is being the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Explaining why it is a challenge, Joshi tells us, “It is something which is temperamentally not me. Sitting on someone else’s work and saying how it does not gel with people, is a very tough and thankless job. The ones whose films are not certified the way they want are unhappy. People are also very harsh in their criticism towards the CBFC.”

The 51-year-old, who was speaking to us at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) after he delivered a masterclass, adds, “Even in advertising, you have to constantly evolve to meet expectations. But I have had fun creating brands for more than two decades. I love that job.”

Though challenges are present in advertising too, he says they are not ‘conflicts’. Similarly, there was hard work involved in recording songs as well. Joshi reminisces, “I would leave my office at 5 in the evening, take a flight and reach (music composer) A R Rahman’s office at 12 in the night in Chennai. I would then take another flight back to work at 8.30 in the morning the next day. But I did not mind the hard work.”

Despite managing the difficult responsibility at the CBFC, Joshi, however, also has a keen interest in imparting education to aspiring filmmakers, actors and technicians, which is why he chaired the jury for IFFI (International Film Festival of India)’s 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow for the second time. This is why, he made sure to not miss the festival this year as well.