Sharmila says casteist slur in Aaja Nachle a mistake

The censor board chief tells the National Commission for Scheduled Castes that she has already apologised but the censor board has to give an affidavit on this.

Censor board chief Sharmila Tagore on Wednesday told the National Commission for Scheduled Castes that it was a mistake to have the alleged casteist slur in Aaja Nachle, Madhuri Dixit’s comeback movie.

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The film, banned in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, is back in theatres after the filmmakers dropped the allegedly offensive line.

“Tagore appeared before the commission and said she was not aware that the said word was offensive but when we quoted constitutional provisions, she agreed it was a mistake,” said commission chairperson Buta Singh.

She told the commission that she has already apologised but was told that the censor board has to give an affidavit on this.

Singh, however, said the commission would take a decision after holding another meeting as the I&B Ministry, which is supposed to send an expert to the censor board had not done so. “We have asked the I&B secretary to appear before us at the next hearing to clarify this.”

Singh said Dixit could not appear as she was a US citizen and had gone back and producer Yash Chopra had sent his lawyer as he was unwell.

The commission had issued notices to the producer, director and actors after certain sections found a line in a song offensive.