Ten films which went beyond the two-and-a-half hour length and stood to gain… or lose
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 22, 2019)

A movie’s run time is tricky business. If it is too short, the audience may not get it, if it is too long, it could turn into a snore fest. So, most Hindi filmmakers play safe and keep it to two-and-a-half hours, but once in a while, surprises do crop up, be it the almost four-hour-long Lagaan or the hour-and-a-half Dolly Ki Doli. Currently on a record-breaking spree, Kabir Singh, is almost three-hour long, yet the audience is happily lapping up the dollops of misogyny. To cut a long story short, many filmmakers today are ready to gamble with the age-old maxim ‘the longer, the better’. Does the length of a film influence its box-office outcome? Trade experts analyse...

KABIR SINGH (2019) - 2 hrs and 53 mins
Director: Sandeep Vanga
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani
Synopsis: A remake of the Telugu romance Arjun Reddy, the film follows an alcoholic surgeon on the path of self-destruction after his girlfriend leaves him.
Trade speak: Distributor Raj Bansal believes the runtime affects number of shows and this film could have upped its business by 10-15 per cent had it been 20 minutes shorter. “Long runtime erodes entertainment value and brings down collections, but that’s where content kicks in. The trade had not expected Kabir Singh to even hit the century mark, but people found it engaging and identified with Shahid’s angry young man with the result that even the most vitriolic criticism could not keep them away,” he reasons.


BHARAT (2019) - 2 hrs and 47 mins
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Synopsis: A remake of the South Korean film Ode To My Father, Bharat traces the six-decade parallel journeys of independent India and the film’s eponymous character.
Trade speak: According to exhibitor Manoj Desai, the audience today finds it hard to understand and relate to the sacrifices made for India’s independence. “Partition is too out-dated for the Gen X and the film was a drag resulting in less than expected business. Salman should stick to action and romance, he is invincible in these genres and will rule for the next decade or two,” he adds.


KALANK (2019) - 2 hrs and 46 mins
Director: Abhishek Varman
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sonakshi Sinha
Synopsis: The period-romance unfolds against the backdrop of the Partition and revolves around star-crossed lovers.
Trade speak: Distributor Raj Bansal believes that despite a stellar cast, Kalank failed to impress as it lacked depth; also, characters were not well defined and their world too alien. “Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit’s reunion didn’t add to the narrative, with the former barely there and the latter largely ineffective despite her all-pervasive presence. Even Varun and Alia’s love story was insipid. So despite opening with a bang, it ended on a whimper,” he explains.


AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019) - 3 hrs 1 min
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
Synopsis: In the aftermath of the destruction caused by Thanos, the Avengers team up with their allies to reverse the damage.
Trade speak: Kamal Gianchandani of the PVR chain of theatres, says that it is the audience’s love and loyalty for the franchise and its characters that pulled them in. “The film offered spectacular visuals and action sequences, so people didn’t mind sitting through three hours. Also, in this case the runtime did not restrict the number of shows due to the number of screens allotted in India,” the exhibitor avers.


RANGEELA RAJA (2019) - 2 hrs 42 mins
Director: Sikander Bharti
Cast: Govinda
Synopsis: A comic flick about twin brothers, where one of them decides to bring the other’s life on track.
Trade speak: Industry veteran and founder of Mumbai’s first multiplex chain, Fame Adlabs, Balkrishna Shroff believes Govinda’s time as a lead actor is over. “Script and all other factors were secondary, this film did not have star appeal to begin with. The runtime didn’t matter because there was no audience,” avers Shroff, adding that Govinda is still a talented actor but should do roles complementing his age.


PADMAAVAT (2018) - 2 hrs 44 mins
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor
Synopsis: A period drama revolving around Maharani Padmavati, Raja Ratan Singh and Alauddin Khilji and how she performed jauhar to protect her honour.
Trade speak: Kamal Gianchandani, of the PVR chain of theatres, believes that irrespective of its length, SLB’s storytelling, his ability to extract strong performances and his music is a big draw. “The combo of an exceptionally talented director and characters played by phenomenal actors in a brilliant film is what worked for Padmaavat,” explains the exhibitor.


KAALA (2018) - 2 hrs 42 mins
Director: Pa Ranjith
Cast: Rajinikanth, Nana Patekar
Synopsis: Kaala is about the Nellai/Tirunelveli-based Tamils who live in Mumbai.
Trade speak: Industry veteran Balkrishna Shroff says Rajini’s appeal is limited to the South. Also, since the multiplex audience doesn’t care for action films, numbers were affected. “Kaala was made for a different market. The Hindi dubbed version was only for extra revenue,” he adds.


RACE 3 (2018) - 2 hrs 40 mins
Director: Remo D’souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jaqueline Fernandez
Synopsis: A family of criminals deal with loyalty issues while planning their next heist.
Trade speak: Trade analyst Komal Nahta reasons that a 2-hour film can feel like a 4-hour one if the script is bad. “Makers depended on only Salman’s charisma to pack in the crowds. That’s where Race 3 failed,” he asserts.


THUGS OF HINDOSTAN (2018) - 2 hrs 44 mins
Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh
Synopsis: An adventure-thriller about a man’s love for his country and another’s lust for power.
Trade speak: Exhibitor Manoj Desai believes that dearth of originality has hit Bollywood with Thugs... being a prime example. “The story ceased to interest post interval. The makers failed to extract anything from Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, a pity given the actors they are,” he says.

ZERO (2018) - 2 hours and 44 mins
Director: Aanand L Rai
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif
Synopsis: Bauua Singh who is vertically challenged aims to broaden his horizons and find purpose in life.
Trade speak: Trade analyst Komal Nahta describes Zero as a “flawed script” so even the holidays didn’t help. “SRK’s string of failures can’t be blamed, it wouldn’t have worked with any actor given the overload of sadness. No film fails because it’s ‘too long’ but because it’s ‘bad’,” he asserts.

A DRY FRIDAY BEFORE THE BIG REPUBLIC DAY WEEKEND!

The first big holiday of the year – Republic Day – will fall next week. A week before, that is tomorrow, as many as 4 films will release but barring the first, all other 3 films don’t seem exciting and will have a tough time. My analysis:

WHY CHEAT INDIA: It was earlier named Cheat India but the Censors raised objection to this title. Hence, ‘Why’ was added in the beginning, prompting many, including actor-producer Emraan Hashmi, to ask ‘Why’ was the title changed! The change of title in no way makes much of a difference, especially when the earlier one was found to be derogatory. The film however is on the interesting topic of cheating mafia during exams which is a very big problem of our country. Emraan plays a smart guy who has found a hack in the system and has no qualms in exploiting it. The trailer is interesting and Emraan looks in his element. Besides the title change, the film faced few roadblocks, but not major ones. Firstly, it’s director Soumik Sen got under the #MeToo scanner. Thankfully for him and the film, it didn’t turn into a storm like in the case of Sajid Khan and Nana Patekar. Secondly, the film was initially scheduled to release on Republic Day. But realizing that clashing with Thackeray and Manikarnika – The Queen Of Jhansi would be foolhardy, the makers preponed the release by a week. They also did a press conference wherein they invited Aaditya Thackeray, grandson of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, on whom the film is based, just to show that it’s all amicable. At the box office, the buzz for the film is quite less and this would reflect in its opening. Why Cheat India should open at around Rs. 2.5-3 crore. If response is good, the collections can go on a high in the weekend. However, it has just one week to collect well since there are two big films releasing next week. Also, last week's Uri has turned out to be a super-hit and it’ll also affect the collections.

FRAUD SAIYAAN: This is a delayed film but fortunately for the makers, it doesn’t look dated. It stars Arshad Warsi in a lead role and is about a con guy who gets married to various women and then runs away with their money. It also co-stars Sara Loren, Saurabh Shukla, Flora Saini, Varun Badola and Elli AvrRam. The film looks like a nice comic caper but has chances to do well in television than in cinemas. The opening can still be in the range of Rs. 60-70 lakhs and only if response is extraordinary can this go anywhere.

RANGEELA RAJA: It stars Govinda in a double role and is produced by Pahlaj Nihalani. The film was to release initially on November 16, 2018 but the Censor Board played dirty games. They dilly-dallied in watching the film after it was submitted. And then they asked for lot of cuts. Pahlaj Nihalani, who has earlier been a CBFC chairperson, refused to take these cuts since as per him, he has made the film according to the guidelines. He therefore demanded a U/A certificate with no cuts. He moved Court and later the film was passed in December 2018 with 3 cuts and U/A Certificate. This controversy made lot of noise since Pahlaj himself had asked for cuts in lot of films and this time he was at the receiving end. The buzz for the film then was bit more. Now, it’s very limited. It might open well in the mass centres and single screens and has no chance in multiplexes. Govinda’s recent films like Aa Gaya Hero and Fry Day opened at less than Rs 30 lakhs. Rangeela Raja hopefully will open at around Rs. 40-50 lakhs which is still a poor opening.

BOMBAIRIYA: Again this is a delayed film and has an ensemble cast comprising of Radhika Apte, Siddhanth Kapoor, Akshay Oberoi, Adil Hussain, Ravi Kishan, Amit Sial and Shilpa Shukla. It seems to be about the events that occur in the lives of these people in a day (or maybe two). The trailer is entertaining and funny. But it looks quite niche and promotion wise, it has failed to make any noise. In fact, the marketing has been zilch. Very few people are aware of its release. As a result, it’s opening can be very less, around Rs. 25 to 35 lakhs. If response is very, very good, then it can give tough competition and do better than Rangeela Raja.

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Swati Mathur (THE TIMES OF INDIA; December 19, 2018)

New Delhi: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has censured the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for meting out “preferential” treatment to big filmmakers and inordinately delaying certification of films even after they are cleared by the Board’s examining committee.

Even as allegations of favouritism have piled up against the Censor Board, the PAC report, based on its examination of the working of CBFC, admonished it for playing ‘partisan’. It also faulted the ministry of information and broadcasting for its failure to rein in the Board.

In recent months, the sharpest take-down of the CBFC was by its former chief Pahlaj Nihalani, who had alleged that even though he applied for a certificate for his film ‘Rangeela Raja’ first, CBFC allowed Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ to jump the queue.

Proving Nihalani’s allegations right, the PAC, in its report, said, “The committee was dismayed to note that CBFC, in order to help big filmmakers who had applied for certification very close to release date, granted certificates to their films ahead of other applicants even when there was no such urgency expressed.”

The PAC was also unconvinced by the ministry’s response to its recommendations. “The ministry apprised the committee regarding measures taken to correct the certification process. However, no guidelines have been issued for alteration of the order of certification, as desired... committee is of the view that clear instructions... are imperative to rule out any favouritism towards big banners,” it said. The PAC had recommended an internal audit system to ensure certification process works efficiently.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 27, 2018)

As a lyricist, he puts feelings into words. As a screenwriter, he adds visual imagination to what is a mere story. And as the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification, he strives to strike a balance between cinematic sensibilities and social responsibilities. At the recent International Film Festival of India, BT spoke to Prasoon Joshi about the importance of poetry and why certification plays a key role in India. Excerpts...

Just about everything in cinema, except writing lyrics and poetry, has become a profession. Can being a poet become a profession in India?
Poetry can’t be a full-fledged profession because certain things cannot be seen in a straight-jacketed or calculated manner. Can poetry be a factory product? No, but the significance of encouraging people to write poetry should be understood. You must have noticed that leaders and business bigwigs often quote poems in their speeches when straight sentences fall short and they want to express themselves. When people find poetry so helpful, I wonder why it is not taught adequately. If the poetic eye is dead, we lose a lot as a society. We should have more appreciators and nurturers of poetry to make our children better human beings. They will become more compassionate and we will have diverse views, become nuanced as people and have a more sensitive society.

With your role as the CBFC chief, Bollywood assignments and other engagements, how do you make time for poetry?
I make my plans broadly. Of course, I do miscalculate sometimes, but being a part of the advertising profession, which is more deadline-driven than films, I am disciplined with timings. It’s all a question of priorities. Life does take a toll on all of us, par kuch cheezon ke liye waqt churana padta hai.

Among your professional responsibilities, your role as the CBFC chief is probably the one that is more daunting. Do you agree?
CBFC’s work doesn’t come naturally to me because I am an artist, and assessing someone’s work while balancing cinematic sensibilities and societal responsibilities is not easy. It’s an honorary job that I have with the CBFC, but whenever I am asked for an opinion, I step in. For me, everything has been a learning experience. I believe in taking on challenges and when this role was offered to me, I decided to try my best. It’s easy to be an armchair critic; most people chicken out when the time comes to face challenges. I decided to brave the challenge. People in the industry were receptive with me, which is why things have been quite smooth so far. Film certification is an important part of filmmaking. You can’t tell a consumer that I love your share of the wallet, but I don’t want your share of the voice. It’s a different matter when you do something for your own satisfaction, but the moment you do it commercially, you have to act responsibly. My fundamental belief is that artists don’t want to harm and that makes things easy for me. Sometimes, people are so engrossed in creating their work that they can’t think of how things will be perceived. People listen to me, they understand my point of view, and so, we have a peaceful dialogue to reach a common ground.

Pahlaj Nihalani has been crying foul about the cuts being suggested in his film Rangeela Raja…
As creative people, we have to understand that there are certain issues which are more important than ever before and we can’t take them casually. One is the portrayal of women. The objections/suggestions/modifications that were suggested for Rangeela Raja were around that. In the name of humour, if you are glorifying violence against women, or if objectification of women is shown as entertainment, we need to take a call. Of course, you can bring in the age-old argument of freedom of expression and say, ‘I am free to express the way I want.’ Yes, you are free to express, but do it a little more sensitively. For many years, we have approached the portrayal of women in our cinema, casually. If we don’t introspect, we can’t change anything in that space. One important issue the CBFC faces is that when a film is offered an A certificate, which was the case here as well, the makers insisted on UA. When a film’s makers demand UA certificate for a film permissible only for adults, it puts us in a tight spot. We can’t allow children to watch content meant for adults. I don’t want to talk about Mr Nihalani here, because he is an elder and I have never commented on him as an individual. We need to understand that when a committee comprising 70 per cent women strongly feels that a particular film cannot be watched by children with their parents, we should respect that. The purpose of certification is to help people make an informed choice about a film.

Talking about the portrayal of women, you have written the dialogue and lyrics for Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi. Given that the film has been through plenty of ups and downs, how has the experience been? And how would things work when the film comes up for certification given that you are still the head of the CBFC?
Rani Laxmibai is exemplary, I have huge respect for her. It was a fantastic experience presenting her life on celluloid. Personally, it was a life-enhancing experience to learn so much about her. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag gave me an insight into the world of sports and the mind of a wonderful sportsperson. Taare Zameen Par helped me understand dyslexia. Manikarnika gave me an insight into our fight for freedom. While the fate of a film is not in anyone’s hands, a lot of hard work has gone into it over a period of time. When it comes to certification, I distance myself from every film that involves me. I did that for Vishwaroopam 2 as well.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; November 25, 2018)

The FCAT (Film Certification Appellate Tribunal) saw Pahlaj Nihanali’s film, Rangeela Raja, in Delhi on Friday. Also present for the screening was the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) team.

However, the verdict has apparently been put on hold till Monday. The Govinda-starrer got into a controversy when the filmmaker didn’t agree to the 20 cuts for the U/A rating and approached the Bombay High Court. Following the HC’s directive to exhaust his options first, Nihalani approached FCAT last Thursday (November 15). However, post the screening on Friday (November 23), the case was heard by the Tribunal. Says the filmmaker, “Usually, only the applicant and the Tribunal are there for the screening. This time, I think it’s after a long time that the CBFC team from Mumbai attended a FCAT hearing because they want to prove that they are right. It seemed as if the CBFC lawyer wasn’t aware of a number of things. He was saying that the song Yogi is vulgar, even though it has been certified ‘U’ and is playing on television and online.”

Nihalani summed up saying he was hopeful of getting justice on Monday. “Having been a chairperson of the CBFC, I’m very well aware of the guidelines and have made sure that I don’t have any objectionable content in my film. It’s a clean family entertainer. I believe there is some kind of vendetta against me that my film is being targetted while other movies are allowed to get away with much more,” he concluded.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 24, 2018)

His last release FryDay may not have fared well at the box-office but Govinda is supremely confident about his next release Rangeela Raja. Not only is it touted to be a massy entertainer, a genre the Hero No 1 actor excels in, but it also reunites him with his Aankhen (1993) producer Pahlaj Nihalani after 25 years. When we catch up with the actor at his residence, he looks upbeat and cheerful. His film is currently embroiled in a controversy with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the release date has gone haywire, but Govinda is unperturbed. With his innate sense of humour, he takes on the Censor chief, and simultaneously takes digs at his director. Here, the actor talks about his upcoming film, making a career out of South remakes and more...     

Rangeela Raja has been given 20 cuts by the CBFC. What is your take on it?
What happens is, when they feel something has the potential to be a hit, woh rok laga dete hai. I have seen films released in the last 10 years or for that matter even the last 30 years having much more controversial content than Rangeela Raja. I think this is a clear case of double standards. It can’t be about what you (censor) think or how it should be. You have to see what is happening in the society. I understand that if there’s a villain and the negativity in terms of language is too much, then woh maa-behen ki galiyan nahin dega. Brutal murders will not be shown. There won’t be lengthy smooching scenes. But apart from that, if he has to show he is wrong, explain how he should do it? I had told Pahlaj ji if you are taking on this subject, show the negative aspect the way it is. If the character is using abusive language, let him, as it will look contemporary. The film will get an ‘A’ certificate and at least that section of the audience will come in large numbers. But Pahlaj ji didn’t do that. He said, ‘My films are not like that, mujhe accha nahin lagta’.

Please continue...
I am amused that despite all that unka yeh haal hua (laughs). Which means being the former chairperson (of the CBFC) woh apeksha kar rahe the. He had a feeling ki mere saath aisa dhokha hoga. He was making the film with decency, but still got betrayed. Nowadays, everything is so personal. People talk and attack personally. 

What is the film about?
It is about how in every household there are some people who are colourful by nature and because of them, the family members get into a situation. It is inspired by a South movie that was made around 30-33 years ago. It was directed by K Balachander and starred Rajinikanth. I don’t remember the name, but it was a superhit film of those times. I have done so many South remakes like Raja Babu, Aankhen, Shola Aur Shabnam and Haseena Maan Jayegi. I had followed Jeetendra ji’s idea of remaking South cinema. He would buy the rights, but I would get inspired by the thought and make it in our way. They would become successful. South remakes have proved lucky for me.

The Rajinkanth-starrer is nearly three decades old, have you contemporarised it in any way?
Some thoughts don’t get old or die... like a person mistakenly thinking that whatever he is doing is right. This has been there since the time of Lord Indra, who was a colourful personality and used to trouble the Gods. He felt that since he is the Lord of Gods, he can do no wrong. In Rangeela Raja, it is something similar. When things are explained to him, he changes to some extent within the framework of his character, which I think is the novelty of the film. We are not trying to convince that everything is fine, a concept which is very today.

About your last release FryDay, you said that it wasn’t given enough theatres and that your movies are being targeted. Why do you feel that?
I said it because it’s true and I don’t want to discuss that.

What are your expectations from Rangeela Raja?
It will do great business. It is a massy entertainer and there is no hindrance to it because Pahlaj ji is a distributor himself. Reach ki problem nahin hogi. Yes, it might get delayed a bit and if they are stubborn it will get an ‘A’ rating.

Earlier in your career, some of your songs like Sarkaile Khatiya (Raja Babu) had run into trouble...
Nahin, ussmein jo thoda sa bindaas tha, ‘U’ certificate ke saath chhod diya (laughs). In fact, I was taking objection during the shoot. David (Dhawan) told me, ‘Sadhu ka chola pehenkar baahar nikal jao, film line mein nahin chalega’. So, I gave the shot and thought yeh cut jayega, par aisa nahin hua (laughs).

But there was a controversy...
Yes, people didn’t let me enjoy the success (laughs).

Don’t you think it’s time for a reinvention?
I have already done it. If you watch FryDay, you will realise it. Eighty per cent of the film is shot in a house, but despite that, it is not boring. It has been handled in a classy way. If you ask me, I think it was a masterpiece. Critics gave it three-and-a-half stars, and they are not fools.

Yet, it didn’t do well...
(Cuts in) It wasn’t allowed to do well. I don’t believe in Rs 100 crore business. It is fake, it’s a drama. If something is allowed to run (in theatres), and then it does well or not, it’s your fate. And, it’s not just with me, this has happened to several people including some big stars and they, too, have fought.

David Dhawan is remaking Hero No 1 with Varun Dhawan...
I don’t want to comment on it.

Any plans of exploring the digital platform?
Right now, I am focussing on films because I think with FryDay I have started again. At least it got released, warna pehle release ki problem hoti thi. Kitne films dabbe mein reh gayi. Next, Rangeela Raja will hit the theatres with cuts or no cuts — depends on Pahlaj ji whether he accepts or not — or how successful Prasoon Joshi ji is in having his way. I will probably do a film or a series on the digital platform mid-2019, not before that. I had an offer in 2017, but I didn’t take it up.

Former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani had gone to court alleging biased treatment towards Rangeela Raja, which was refused a ‘U/A’ rating
BOMBAY TIMES (November 19, 2018)

The Central Board of Film Certification has responded to filmmaker and former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani’s charge of the current chairperson, Prasoon Joshi, being “politically motivated” after Nihalani’s upcoming film starring Govinda was ordered 20 cuts by the CBFC. Nihalani had challenged the cuts in the Bombay High Court, which refused to grant him interim relief or take up his petition for an urgent hearing. The vacation bench had also asked Nihalani why he hadn’t approached the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) or the Revising Committee. Rangeela Raja, which was slated to release on November 16, has now been postponed.

Now, the CBFC has issued a statement accusing Nihalani of “circumventing the process of law”. “We are glad that the filmmakers of Rangeela Raja, who were aggrieved with the screening committee recommendations, have finally approached the FCAT, after their earlier unsuccessful attempts to rush to the High Court by circumventing the process of law,” Tushar Karmarkar, Regional Officer, said in a statement. He added, “The real reason for Rangeela Raja facing hurdles was that the film was viewed and offered an ‘A’ certificate by the Examining Committee. However, the producer wanted a ‘U/A’ certificate, which implies that the film is suitable even for children below 12 years of age under parental guidance.”

“The scenes and dialogues, which were found unsuitable for ‘U/A’ family viewing according to the CBFC guidelines, are mostly concerning the objectification of women in the name of humour. Trivialising sexual and domestic violence against women is an insensitive approach. The CBFC Examining Committee has a fair representation of women who unanimously felt the above,” the statement added, “The makers’ insistence on not accepting an ‘Adult’ rating and pressing for ‘U/A’ made it very difficult. In order to have the film ‘U/A’ certified, modifications were asked for.”

The CBFC, accusing the makers of “projecting a certain narrative to the media,” said, “The filmmakers did not wait for all the CBFC processes to get completed under which the maker applies for a review (Revising Committee), and if not satisfied, can approach the FCAT. Ignoring the options available, the filmmakers filed a petition in the High Court. The makers earlier seemed to be more interested in projecting a certain narrative to the media than following the due process available to them.”
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SOME SCENES WHICH THE CBFC ASKED TO BE MODIFIED

‘Tu aisa swadisht khana mujhe khila chuki hai...’. “The dialogue is uttered by the protagonist to a woman, immediately after raping her, to console her. Here the ‘ swadisht khana’ is implied in a double meaning manner justifying the worst form of violence against women,” said the CBFC.

‘Hai itna ras bhara.’ “Regarding the physical attributes of a woman, cloaked under the overt reference to an eatable, was not found suitable for children and collective family viewing,” said the CBFC.

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 7, 2018)

Bombay High Court’s vacation bench on Tuesday refused to urgently hear fi lmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani’s plea against the Central Board of Film Certifi cation (CBFC). The CBFC has suggested 20 cuts for his upcoming production, Rangeela Raja. The former CBFC chairman will now admit his plea again before the court on November 12.

Pahlaj has claimed that the cuts suggested are illogical and meaningless and not according to the Censor Board guidelines.

“My film is a comedy family drama revolving around a colourful personality (It is reportedly based on the life of beer baron Vijay Mallya), but not a single scene in the film is objectionable,” he argued in an interview to Mirror (November 6), reminding one that objections can be raised to cuss words, double meaning dialogues, scenes showing torture of women and child abuse, sex and violence. “My film has none of all this.”

The producer had also alleged that the censor body did not give a timely review to his comeback directorial. “I had applied for certification 42–43 days ago. As per the rule, they have to see the film within 21 days, but the screening finally happened on November 2 after films like Thugs Of Hindostan which had applied after me, were cleared,” he groused, adding that he had planned to release his film on November 8.

With his comeback directorial, Pahalj is reuniting with Govinda after 25 years. They have earlier worked together in films like Ilzaam, Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen. It is scheduled for releasee of November 16.
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Hiren Kotwani (DNA; November 7, 2018)

Pahlaj Nihalani is an angry man. The veteran producer-distributor’s directorial debut Rangeela Raja, starring Govinda, may miss its release date of November 16 due to the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) asking him for 20 cuts. He moved the Bombay High Court against the Censor Board’s order, but due to the Diwali vacation and this not being an ‘emergency’ matter requiring to be heard on an ‘urgent basis’, it will be heard on November 12.

“As the Chairperson of the CBFC, I followed the due rules and set up new initiatives like online applications, eliminating middlemen/brokers and ensured transparency in the Censorship process during my two-and-half year tenure,” he claims. He alleges, “Today, movies that require cuts are being cleared liberally. Perhaps they don’t want to annoy the film industry aur jo filmein clear ho rahi hai, they don’t comply with the guidelines.”

Reiterating that as the Censor Board chief, he would do his job despite instructions from the ministry, he says, “There’s no vulgarity, obscenity, double meaning or violence in my film. It doesn’t hurt any religious sentiment. Yet, I’m being punished for no fault of mine.”

Apparently, lines like “Mera dhyaan pooja mein tha”, “Ghevar kitna ras bhara hai, ahista ahista kholna”, “Talwar miyan se bahar niklegi toh tumhe lene ke dene pad jayenge”, “Jab jab Raavan Sita ka apaharan karega, tab tab Hanuman Ram ka saath dene aayega”, “Raat ko aap Arjun ki tarah teer nikalke bahar jaate ho” have been deemed objectionable.

Probed about these, the filmmaker says, “They want the hand gesture removed in the line ‘Mera dhyaan pooja mein tha’. They want to remove the mention of ‘Ram’ from the line ‘Jab jab Raavan Sita ka apaharan karega..’. Tell me, what is the problem in this line? I’m not hurting any religious sentiments. They have an issue with the phrase ‘lene ke dene pad jayenge’, which is used in common parlance.”

Asserting that he would have accepted the cuts if he was in the wrong, Nihalani says injustice is being done to him and his film. He alleges, “Films are being cleared liberally without a thought for the guidelines when it comes to big banner films. Otherwise, they are taking their own time. Over the years, since the CBFC was started, various committees have met and submitted their findings and suggestions, the last being the Shyam Benegal committee. But nothing is being done about it.”

When probed why he didn’t go to the FCAT (Film Certification Appellate Tribunal), the filmmaker says in absence of the Chairperson, the Revising Committee would take time to be constituted. “During Udta Punjab, I had constituted the Revising Committee in two days. Since there’s no idea how long it will take, I had no option but to move the Court. Now, let’s see what the Honourable Judge says on November 12.”

Pahlaj Nihalani moves court against CBFC; says that the Examining Committee deliberately pointed out things in his film which weren’t against guidelines
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 6, 2018)

Soon after being replaced as chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) by Prasoon Joshi in August 2017, Pahlaj Nihalani grabbed headlines with his decision to present Deepak Shivdasani’s ‘bold, beautiful and blessed’ Julie 2, which featured actress Raai Laxmi as a simple girl rising to be a superstar. The filmmaker had insisted that the film be given an ‘A’ certificate without any cuts because there was no “vulgarity, obscenity or even a language problem” in it. It was cleared with an adult certificate, without cuts.

Around the middle of this year, Pahlaj started shooting for his next production titled Rangeela Raja. Reportedly based on the life of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, it had Govinda in the lead. The duo has previously collaborated on three films — Aankhen, Shola Aur Shabnam and Ilzaam. Their fourth film is up for release on November 16 and on Monday, Pahlaj filed a petition against the CBFC after the latter suggested 20 cuts.

Justifying his stand, he told Mirror, “I had applied for certification 42–43 days ago. As per the rule, they have to see the film within 21 days, but the screening finally happened on November 2 after films like Thugs of Hindostan which had applied after me, were cleared,” he said.

He further added that the cuts too are also not according to guidelines. “My film is a comedy family drama revolving around a colourful personality, but not a single scene in the film is objectionable,” he argued, reminding one that objections can be raised to cuss words, double meaning dialogues, scenes showing torture of women and child abuse, sex and violence. “My film has none of all this. There is one dialogue, ‘Jab jab Raavan Sita ka haran karega, tab tab Ram ka saath nibhane ke liye Hanuman aayega’ and they want me to edit this as it could hurt religious sentiments. Why should it? I have taken Ram’s name in a positive light,” he said.

Another dialogue in the film goes “Ratri ke samay tum Arjun ki tarah teer leke ghar se bahar ja rahe ho.” Pahlaj is at pains to point out that there is no double meaning inherent in the line. In another scene Govinda’s character is tapping a girl’s hip. “It’s just a dance move, there is nothing vulgar about it. The shot was cleared for the song which we recently released, but they have an objection to it being shown in the film,” said a disbelieving Pahlaj, reminding you that he has been on the “hot seat of a Chairperson” and is aware of what is right and wrong.

“After me they are projecting the Censor Board as being very liberal but in Stree they passed a scene where a father is advising his son to use his hand to relieve his sexual frustration. That’s fine with the board but in my film when a husband tells his wife ‘lene ka dene padh jayenge’ they have a problem with it,” said the filmmaker adding that this is the first time after making 25 films that he has got so many “drastic cuts”.

Why didn’t he go to the Revising Committee before moving court? “The Chairman has to perform his duties in office and Prasoon is not available and a regional officer is doing the job for him. It’s his responsibility to constitute a Revising Committee if something is not agreeable, but I’m told he had instructed the Examining Committee to see my movie with binoculars and they have purposely pointed out things which are far from objectionable. This is injustice. I will not take such drastic cuts,” he thundered.

Mirror texted Prasoon but he didn’t respond. Regional Officer Tusshar Karmarkar said he was in a screening and could talk only after 8 pm but after that did not take our calls or respond to texts.

Despite pulling up Salman Khan for his apparent apathy in the past, Govinda says the two will always have one another's back
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 2, 2018)

Having returned to Bollywood to give a go at a second innings a few years ago, Govinda had chided former friends Salman Khan and David Dhawan for not standing by him in the time of need.

Even though he asserted that he was indebted to Khan, he had pulled up the latter for not giving his daughter, Tina, a chance in Bollywood. Yet, over the passing years, Govinda seems to have done a rethink, retracing his words and even making an appearance in the ongoing season of Khan-hosted reality show, Bigg Boss. Govinda tells mid-day, "Salman and I are buddies. We have a love-hate relationship, but we both back each other. I have enjoyed working with him, and have no qualms in sharing screen space with him again, if we get the right script."

Govinda's last release, FryDay, he admits, was "declared a flop even before it released". Yet, he believes that the situational comedy was underrated, and suffered due to people's lack of trust in it. "Despite being a good film, FryDay didn't get many screens because the industry [production houses] made a presumption that Govinda's film won't work, or will only do a certain amount of business. But, I am confident about my craft, and [pleased with] the reaction of people. It is a matter of time before my films start doing the desired [level of] business," says the actor, who will be seen in Pahlaj Nihalani's Rangeela Raja.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 1, 2018)

In a twist of fate, former Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani finds himself on the other side of the battle lines. The filmmaker claims that his upcoming film — Rangeela Raja featuring Govinda — may miss its November 16 date with the audience as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is apparently dragging its feet on the certification.

Nihalani said, "I don't see a reason why my film has not been certified yet, especially since I sent it to them almost one-and-a-half months earlier. As per the rule, the chairman needs to show the movie within 21 days to the committee and let them decide what needs to be done. But the problem is that the chairman [Prasoon Joshi] is hardly present in the office. When I was the chairman, I would stay back in the office and work even on holidays."

Nihalani also insinuated that the CBFC metes out preferential treatment to big-budget films. "They say it takes 68 days for the CBFC to clear a film. But I came to know that Thugs Of Hindostan, despite being submitted for clearance much after my film, has already got a certificate. I am assuming that is because Aamir [Khan] and Prasoon [Joshi] are friends. They give preferential treatment to big studios."

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 5, 2018)

Govinda’s latest innings in Bollywood has been a damp squib. Even his last movie Aa Gaya Hero sank without a trace at the box office. However, the actor is now reuniting with Pahlaj Nihalani for Rangeela Raja, in which he plays a double role and his characters are inspired by Vijay Mallya and Baba Ramdev. The movie is a satirical take on both of these personalities. Now, we hear there’s a bit of trouble on the sets.

A source from the crew told us, “The makers had planned to shoot the entire climax this month. But when Pahlaj discussed it with the whole team, they were a little concerned. Although it will be done in jest, they are worried that the ending might offend followers of Baba Ramdev.”

According to our source, the team is ‘reshooting the entire climax’. “They are mellowing it down and changing the scene’s tonality. Mallya is a national villain now, so they aren’t too worried about his character. But disrespecting Baba Ramdev will only invite trouble for the makers, which they want to avoid,” added our source. When After Hrs contacted Pahlaj, he said, “I don’t know what the climax will be, at this point. But I won’t change it for anyone. Nobody knows what it will be because there’s no script. I haven’t given the actors any narration, I’m filming each day as it comes. I’ll shoot the climax towards the end of June. By then, I’ll know what it will be.”

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; May 3, 2018)

When you have Govinda reuniting with his long-time collaborator Pahlaj Nihalani after over 13 years, you know they'll have a trick or two up their sleeve. Their next outing, Rangeela Raja, sees the actor in a double role of two brothers. The former Censor Board chairperson, who is producing the comedy, reveals that Govinda's two characters are inspired by yoga guru Baba Ramdev and liquor baron Vijay Mallya.

Talking about the "complete family entertainer", Nihalani says, "It's the story of two brothers - both essayed by Govinda - who are completely different from each other. One character is inspired by Vijay Mallya; so, you see him as a rich, flamboyant business tycoon. The other brother is a spiritual guru, along the lines of Baba Ramdev."

Nihalani warns that it's a comedy of errors as both characters lead a dual life. "So effectively, Govinda is playing four different characters," laughs the producer, adding, "The business tycoon pretends to be a dutiful husband at home, but he has a colourful life outside of it." Having delivered several hits including Ilzaam (1986) and Aankhen (1993) in the past, Nihalani says reuniting with his one-time favourite actor is sheer joy. Shot in a single schedule in Karjat, Rangeela Raja will launch three new faces as female leads.