Showing posts with label K A Bodyscapes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K A Bodyscapes. Show all posts
Pahlaj Nihalani still adamant on refusing to certify Malayalam film K A Bodyscapes?
8:02 AM
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 2, 2017)
Mid-Day had earlier reported that even though Central Board of Film
Certification (CBFC) Chief Pahlaj Nihalani’s high-handedness with
filmmakers had spurred murmurs of dissent among board members, a
contempt of court order issued against him was being cited as the final
nail in the coffin that could lead to his expulsion. An 18-member
team of the CBFC had to travel to Thiruvananthapuram to view Malayalam
film K A Bodyscapes, after Nihalani's refusal to certify it for several
months had compelled the Kerala High Court to issue a notice against
him. This was the fourth review held for the Board in the last one year.“Nihalani and the CBFC are being unreasonable. They don’t want my film to release,” K A Bodyscapes’s director Jayan Cherian told mid-day from New York, after the film, which hinges on homosexuality, was refused a certificate yet again last week. “The members who watched it last Friday are divided in their opinion. Nine members are ready to pass it with a few cuts, but the rest don’t want to certify the film.”
Cherian said that the CBFC attorney requested the court two weeks’ time to arrive at a conclusion and provide an explanation for the delay. The film shows the relationship between two men against a series of real events that shook the conservative Kerala society prompting closeted Kerala gays to come out in support. “The Board is trying to mute dissenting opinions of artistes. It is unfortunate to see the growing intolerance and lack of freedom of expression,” Cherian lamented after the court decided to hear the case on August 16.
This is the second time that the CBFC has sought time to announce its decision on the certification of the film. They had previously requested the Kerala HC for a two-month extension to plan this screening, citing lack of funds as reason for not holding the preview. Cherian said he first held the screening for Nihalani in February after A Prathiba, CBFC regional officer, Thiruvananthapuram, refused to certify the film citing objectionable content in July 2016. “Nihalani and his team refused to certify the film in February stating that it denigrates female characters.”
The court ordered the chief to give his verdict in May, even sending reminders subsequently. But, when Nihalani failed to pay heed to the orders, a contempt of court notice was issued. When contacted, Nihalani told mid-day, “I am not answerable. It shouldn’t concern you if I have seen the film twice or five times.”
Pahlaj Nihalani to step down as Censor Board chairman due to contempt of court?
7:47 AM
MID-DAY (July 26, 2017)
Ever since he took office as chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification in 2015, Pahlaj Nihalani has come under the scanner for his censoring actions, with a majority of industry folk citing his decisions unwarranted.
Rumours doing the rounds that the Board will replace the infamous chief comes as no surprise then, given that he also recently attracted the wrath of cinephiles and filmmakers for his stance against the “lady-oriented” Lipstick Under My Burkha and Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar.
While Nihalani has often shielded his decisions behind the archaic Cinematograph Act, the chief has now apparently come in the line of fire for contempt of court. A member of the Board, on condition of anonymity, tells mid-day that the Kerala High Court has issued a notice against the CBFC after Nihalani refused to certify the film, K A Bodyscapes (see picture below), putting the filmmaker in a soup for nine months.
The source says, “A screening was held for the CBFC in February, following which Pahlaj and his team refused to certify the film. The HC ordered him to give his verdict in May, and sent subsequent reminders.” When Nihalani failed to pay heed to the orders, a contempt of court issue was served. The team even requested for a two-months extension to due to “lack of funding to arrange the screening and the cost of bringing all the Board members together.”
Speculations suggest, the screening will happen in Thiruvananthapuram on 28 July. In the subsequent Board meeting, scheduled for the same day, Nihalani may be asked to step down. Our calls to Nihalani, went unanswered. A source says, “If he’s asked to step down, he won’t relent.”
Censor Board in trouble with Kerala High Court over film on homosexuality and religion, K A Bodyscapes
7:37 AM
Refusing
to certify Malayalam filmmaker Jayan Cherian’s film, K A Bodyscapes,
that deals with homosexuality and religion, has landed the board in
trouble with the Kerala HC
Sanyukta Iyer and Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 14, 2017)
After recent skirmishes with Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar and the Amartya Sen documentary, the Central Board of Film Certification finds itself in another certification battle that has been raging for the most part of this year.
After the regional Examining Committee in Trivandrum and the Chennai-based regional Revising Committee denied censor certification to Jayan Cherian’s film, K A Bodyscapes, which reportedly explores themes of homosexuality and religion, the Malayalam filmmaker filed a petition in the Kerala High Court last year. The Court ordered the CBFC to step in to review the film and grant the certificate. “Ten-12 board members, led by Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani, watched the film on February 17 this year but refused to certify it, arguing that the movie ‘portrayed Hindu gods in an obscene light and had contents of nudity’. Pahlaj also suggested that the film should be banned,” Cherian told Mirror from New York, who went knocking on HC’s door again. He added, “A single bench of the High Court held that the movie has to be watched as a whole instead of refusing to give a certificate based on certain clips and parts. The judge also permitted the Board to modify or delete certain scenes if they find it objectionable but ruled against banning it altogether.”
After the court order, the CBFC took the matter in appeal to the Division Bench, which refused to interfere in the directions of the Single Bench, while also directing the CBFC to certify the film themselves instead of sending it to the Revising Committee (RC) since the film had been stuck for a long time. However, the review was carried out by the RC, which recommended against granting certification.
The development was followed by another petition for contempt against the CBFC officials as the Bench of Chief Justice Navniti Prasad and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan observed that the RC reviewing K A Bodyscapes was in breach of the Court’s order. But last month, the Court granted CBFC an opportunity to purge the contempt by permitting the Board to review the film in a month, also directing that the Board bear the cost of examination.
On July 11, CBFC responded with a letter seeking two months’ extension to comply with Ka Bodyscapes’ contempt of court case due to “lack of funding to arrange the screening and the cost of bringing all the board members together.” At the time of going to the press, a disillusioned Cherian was unsure about when his film would get a viewing but promised to take the fight to the finish.
After recent skirmishes with Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar and the Amartya Sen documentary, the Central Board of Film Certification finds itself in another certification battle that has been raging for the most part of this year.
After the regional Examining Committee in Trivandrum and the Chennai-based regional Revising Committee denied censor certification to Jayan Cherian’s film, K A Bodyscapes, which reportedly explores themes of homosexuality and religion, the Malayalam filmmaker filed a petition in the Kerala High Court last year. The Court ordered the CBFC to step in to review the film and grant the certificate. “Ten-12 board members, led by Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani, watched the film on February 17 this year but refused to certify it, arguing that the movie ‘portrayed Hindu gods in an obscene light and had contents of nudity’. Pahlaj also suggested that the film should be banned,” Cherian told Mirror from New York, who went knocking on HC’s door again. He added, “A single bench of the High Court held that the movie has to be watched as a whole instead of refusing to give a certificate based on certain clips and parts. The judge also permitted the Board to modify or delete certain scenes if they find it objectionable but ruled against banning it altogether.”
After the court order, the CBFC took the matter in appeal to the Division Bench, which refused to interfere in the directions of the Single Bench, while also directing the CBFC to certify the film themselves instead of sending it to the Revising Committee (RC) since the film had been stuck for a long time. However, the review was carried out by the RC, which recommended against granting certification.
The development was followed by another petition for contempt against the CBFC officials as the Bench of Chief Justice Navniti Prasad and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan observed that the RC reviewing K A Bodyscapes was in breach of the Court’s order. But last month, the Court granted CBFC an opportunity to purge the contempt by permitting the Board to review the film in a month, also directing that the Board bear the cost of examination.
On July 11, CBFC responded with a letter seeking two months’ extension to comply with Ka Bodyscapes’ contempt of court case due to “lack of funding to arrange the screening and the cost of bringing all the board members together.” At the time of going to the press, a disillusioned Cherian was unsure about when his film would get a viewing but promised to take the fight to the finish.
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