No PIL yet against censor but will go to court if films keep getting affected: Mukesh Bhatt

Chairperson of The Film and Television Producers Guild of India speaks up against the Censor Board’s strict new rules on expletives

Earlier this month, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) invited the ire of the film industry when a list of "objectionable words/abusive words" that was meant for internal circulation within the Board was leaked to the media.

Mukesh-Bhatt

The censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani even went public to say in a report that the list was "not for the media".

A few days back, a rumour claimed that The Film and Television Producers Guild of India was now planning to file a PIL pertaining to this matter.

While the body’s chairman, Mukesh Bhatt, denied the news, he did say that they would not hesitate to take legal action if the situation demanded it in the future.

He says, "There is no PIL filed yet, but yes, if our films keep getting affected, we will have no other option but to go to court."

Insisting that the censor board cannot change its rules and guidelines overnight, as a lot of money and effort is riding on the industry, he adds, "If the Board has to change any rule, it has to do it in consultation with the filmmakers. It cannot be arbitrary and throw diktats."

Reportedly, the film’s release date has been pushed by a week — from March 6 to March 13 — due to the censor board having issues with the expletives used in it.