Onir to Censor board: Ok to slap a woman’s back in Judwaa 2 in a country where women are molested?

Filmmaker Onir reacts to his film not being able to make it to the small screen and rues that nothing has changed though Prasoon Joshi has replaced Pahlaj Nihalani as CBFC chairperson.

Filmmaker Onir’s film Shab has not been given the green signal by Central Board of Film Certification for its television premiere, and the director is visibly unhappy. The film, starring Raveena Tandon, Arpita Chatterjee and Sanjay Suri deals with homosexuality and extra marital affairs. Apparently, CBFC has raised objection to the themes and said the film is not right for television viewing.

Filmmaker Onir is angry with CBFC for not changing their approach. (Hindustan Times)

“I am really disappointed.The film is about how five people make changes to their lives to make them better. I told CBFC that I am ready to make further cuts but I wasn’t given a chance. Then comes a film like Judwaa 2 where it is okay to casually slap a woman’s back in a country where women are molested, and this is allowed for everyone to watch,” says Onir, adding, “They told me my film glorifies homosexuality. If Moonlight (which dealt with homosexuality) can get clearance for TV, why not my film?”

The National award winning filmmaker further says. “It’s not about the person who is on the CBFC chair. We always target a person but what is not used is cinematograph act which was never implemented . They argue that kids watch my film but when a 10-year-old kid is watching my film, he is also watching news where there is talk about a child getting molested.”

“My brother Nikhil and I Am were about similar issues and they are aired on TV. There are other films which show more than what my film is showing. Shab is nothing like that. I don’t know why I am being singled out. The lovemaking scenes in my film were set in the dark. Recently films like Shubh Mangal Savdhaan which talk about erectile dysfunction have got UA certificate, and television shows these days are all about extra marital affairs anyway,” he says.

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