Filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani, known for giving impetus to the careers of actors like Govinda and Chunky Panday in the late 1980s, died of a liver-related ailment at the age of 76 in Mumbai on Thursday. However, history may remember him most for his controversial tenure as the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from 2015 to 2017. While his successor, screenwriter and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, has held the office since 2017, Pahlaj’s two-year tenure was so mired in controversy that the precedents it set continue to plague film censorship even today.
Pahlaj Nihalani’s most infamous controversy was when he refused to clear the release of Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab (2016), starring Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, and Diljit Dosanjh, among others. Even after the film was sent to the Revising Committee of the CBFC, it was asked to make 89 cuts in order to secure a release, including all references to Punjab, since the film revolved around the rampant drug abuse in the state. The film’s co-producer Anurag Kashyap slammed Pahlaj, calling him an “oligarch” and a “dictator”, who’s made censorship in India as authoritarian as in North Korea. However, after the makers moved Bombay High Court, the film was eventually released with just a single cut and an ‘A’ (Adults Only) certificate.
Pahlaj Nihalani ordered 89 cuts in Udta Punjab.
Lipstick Under My Burkha
Another film that felt the impact of Pahlaj Nihalani’s diktats was Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017). The CBFC refused to certify the movie, starring Ratna Pathak Shah and Konkona Sen Sharma, among others, for having “contagious sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography, and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society”. Pahlaj dubbed the film to be “too women-oriented.” However, after producer Prakash Jha appealed at the now-scrapped Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), it allowed the film to release with around 20 cuts, most of which were voluntary, and an ‘A’ certificate.
Pahlaj Nihalani dubbed Lipstick Under My Burkha to be too “women-oriented.”
Jab Harry Met Sejal
In the same year, Pahlaj Nihalani asked the word “intercourse” to be muted from even the promos of Imtiaz Ali’s romantic comedy Jab Harry Met Sejal, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, claiming that “Indian society wasn’t ready for such progressiveness.” At that time, it was pointed out that Pahlaj had produced a film like David Dhawan’s 1994 action comedy Andaz, starring Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla, which had vulgar songs like “Khada Hai” and “Yeh Maal Gaadi.” Even during his CBFC reign, he cleared the trailers of adult comedies like Mastizaade and Kya Kool Hain Hum 3 without any cuts.
Pahlaj Nihalani asked Jab Harry Met Sejal makers to remove the word “intercourse.”
Aligarh
Pahlaj Nihalani also granted Hansal Mehta’s 2015 film Aligarh an ‘A’ certificate, claiming that the subject of homosexuality depicted in the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer is not suitable for viewing by kids and teenagers. Even Shlok Sharma’s 2015 black comedy Haraamkhor, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi, wasn’t cleared for release because of its central track of romance between a teacher and a student. But the makers ensured a release after approaching the FCAT subsequently.
Pahlaj Nihalani had objected to the release of Haraamkhor.
Spectre
When Sam Mendes’ 2015 James Bond movie Spectre was released in Indian cinemas, a kiss between Daniel Craig and Monica Bellucci was chopped off. Similar hurdles were faced during the release of Sam Taylor-Johnson’s 2015 erotic romantic drama Fifty Shades of Grey, starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. The backlash was so significant that CBFC members Ashoke Pandit and Chandraprakash Dwivedi reportedly wrote to Pahlaj Nihalani, urging him to reconsider the board’s stance.
Pahlaj Nihalani asked the kiss in Spectre to be trimmed down.
“The biggest victim of his warped world view is the Hollywood films which are finding it difficult to get a clearance through the certification board because it does not suit the absent sensibilities of Pahlaj. Films after films are becoming innocent victims of his mindless tyranny,” stated the letter. Deepika Padukone’s 2016 debut Hollywood film, xXx: Return of Xander Cage alongside Vin Diesel, also got several cuts, including a shot of women lying on the bed and pouring a drink.
Story continues below this ad
Pahlaj’s ambiguous treatment was also reflected, when he cleared the trailer of Aditya Chopra’s 2016 rom-com Befikre, starring Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor, despite 12 kisses. “The images in Befikre are not about the kisses alone. It’s about a whole lot of things, about love. The trailer shows kissing as a manifestation of love; it’s not there for titillation,” he argued.
In an interview with PTI in 2016, Pahlaj Nihalani defended his actions by saying, “Point out something I have not done within rules, then I have no problem in stepping down. The cuts were made in the past, but there was no controversy then. Now various things are being said. If they feel anything wrong has been done, then let them raise their voice and force the government and the Parliament to change the present guidelines, under which the board works. We can only give suggestions.”
NH10
One of the earliest moves that Pahlaj Nihalani imposed after taking over the office was to issue a circular that directed the usage of cuss words and abusive language to be curbed in films. Several films, including Navdeep Singh’s 2015 thriller NH10, starring Anushka Sharma, bore the brunt of that. He even alleged that then-CBFC Chairperson and veteran actor Sharmila Tagore allowed Vishal Bhardwaj’s 2006 crime drama Omkara to be released without any cuts, even though it had abusive language, because it starred her son Saif Ali Khan.
Pahlaj Nihalani caused troubles in the release of NH10.
Pahlaj Nihalani sacked
Pahlaj Nihalani was sacked in 2017, and replaced by Prasoon Joshi. He claimed in an interview with Lehren TV that he was sacked for not clearing Madhur Bhandarkar’s 2017 period political thriller Indu Sarkar, starring Kirti Kulhari, without any cuts. The film revolved around the 1975 Emergency imposed by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Story continues below this ad
Also Read: Pahlaj Nihalani, ex-CBFX chief and producer of mainstream masala, dies at 76
In an interview with Pinkvilla last year, Pahlaj claimed that he often faced pressures from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry to hamper releases of films like Udta Punjab and Kabir Khan’s 2015 blockbuster Bajrangi Bhaijaan, starring Salman Khan, which faced issues owing to its allegedly communal title.
Even years after his controversial exit from the CBFC, Pahlaj Nihalani remained vocal about the functioning of the certification body. “There are a lot of problems in censor board now, as Prasoon Joshi doesn’t go to office, so it’s a free for all. He has been the longest serving chairman of the board as he has been the chairman for seven years, but he doesn’t come to office. The office is being run by CEO,” claimed Pahlaj.
Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: