Gandu is a controversial Bengali film with full frontal sex scenes and nudity. Despite being the official selection at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival, it has no takers in India.
The black and white film won director Q or Qaushiq Mukherjee the Best Director and Jury Prize Awards at the 2010 South Asian International Film Festival in New York. It was also screened at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah.
Apart from accolades, the film is known for courting controversy. The explicit sex scenes and adult content in the film have reportedly led to audience walkouts at some screenings.
But if CBFC chief Leela Samson, better known as Bharatanatyam dancer and director of Rukmini Devi's Kalakshetra, has her way one might not need to fly all the way to Berlin to watch films like this one. The Censor Board chief is looking at new ways of film classification but is not looking to pass Gandu.
Many who have seen this film feel that adults in India are mature enough to choose the kind of adult content they can bear on the big screen. Some audiences claim that it should be left to their discretion (and not the Censor Board's) to watch films like Gandu.
{{/usCountry}}Many who have seen this film feel that adults in India are mature enough to choose the kind of adult content they can bear on the big screen. Some audiences claim that it should be left to their discretion (and not the Censor Board's) to watch films like Gandu.
{{/usCountry}}What remains to be seen is would the Censor Board deem us mature enough to handle our A-rated films like adults or will we never grow out of 'parental guidance'?