All posts tagged: Censorship

Indian film censorship saw arguably its darkest days under Pahlaj Nihalani’s CBFC reign | Bollywood News

Indian film censorship saw arguably its darkest days under Pahlaj Nihalani’s CBFC reign | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

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, …

Sebastian Stan recalls when Donald Trump tried to stall The Apprentice’s Cannes premiere, calls out censorship

Sebastian Stan recalls when Donald Trump tried to stall The Apprentice’s Cannes premiere, calls out censorship

Published by Parlour News

Hollywood star Sebastian Stan, best known for playing Bucky in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice, has reflected on his 2024 film – a biopic on the US President. Sebastian Stan played a young Donald Trump in Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice. Sebastian Stan takes on Trump’s America The actor is at the Cannes Film Festival promoting his upcoming film, Fjord. On Tuesday, while speaking at a press conference for the film, Sebastian responded to a question about his thoughts on the biopic, considering that Trump has been in office for over a year. “It’s just not a laughing matter, to be honest. It isn’t. I think we’re (America) in a really, really bad place. I really do. And to be honest with you, when you’re looking at what’s happening, right – if we’re talking about the consolidation of the media, censorship, threats, the supposed lawsuits that seemingly never end but don’t actually go anywhere. You know, the writing was on the wall. We encountered all that with the movie,” …

Sebastian Stan slams Donald Trump, talks about censorship in America at Cannes 2026: ‘We’re in a really bad place’

Sebastian Stan slams Donald Trump, talks about censorship in America at Cannes 2026: ‘We’re in a really bad place’

Published by Parlour News

While attending the Cannes Film Festival 2026 to celebrate the premiere of his highly anticipated new drama Fjord, Marvel alumnus Sebastian Stan took a moment to speak candidly about his deepening anxieties regarding the current political and media climate in the United States. During a press interaction, the actor opened up about the systemic censorship, and lingering legal threats that have followed him since portraying Donald Trump in the controversial biopic The Apprentice. Sebastian Stan slams Donald Trump, talks about censorship in America at Cannes 2026: ‘We’re in a really bad place’. (Getty ) On the political climate At Cannes 2026, Stan did not mince words. He expressed an increasing uneasiness with the cultural direction of the country. “I think we’re in a really, really bad place. I really do,” the actor stated. He expanded on this by highlighting the chilling effect of corporate control and legal intimidation in modern media. “And to be honest with you, when you’re looking at what’s happening, right — if we’re talking about the consolidation of the media, censorship, …

Muted dialogues, blurred religious visuals: Antony Starr-starrer The Boys season 5 gets heavily edited in India

Muted dialogues, blurred religious visuals: Antony Starr-starrer The Boys season 5 gets heavily edited in India

Published by Parlour News

The final season of the hit web series The Boys has officially premiered on Prime Video in India, but viewers quickly noticed that the local version appears significantly toned down. Despite the show carrying an adult rating, several fans on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) pointed out multiple edits involving muted dialogues, blurred visuals, and trimmed sequences that allegedly alter parts of the creator’s intended version. Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys season 5. What Happens in The Boys Season 5? The new season plunges deeper into chaos as Homelander tightens his grip over America through fear, propaganda, and authoritarian control. With ‘Freedom Camps’ being used to silence dissenters and consolidate power around the White House, the resistance led by Annie January struggles to stay afloat. Meanwhile, Billy Butcher returns with a devastating plan involving a virus capable of eliminating every person carrying Compound V. As Butcher races to obtain the original V1 strain, the stakes escalate further with the return of a furious and unpredictable Soldier Boy. Scenes Indian Viewers Say Were Censored …

Civil society groups complain of growing censorship to IT Ministry

Civil society groups complain of growing censorship to IT Ministry

Published by Parlour News

Many groups expressed concerns on growing censorship of viral anti-establishment content on social media. | Photo Credit: Getty Images The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology faced questions from civil society on Tuesday (April 7, 2026), after proposing a rule change that would give the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting greater powers to treat individual social media users like regulated news publishers. In two back-to-back meetings on Tuesday afternoon, IT Secretary S. Krishnan heard from civil society and industry groups representing social media firms, with the former expressing concerns on growing censorship of viral anti-establishment content on social media. At a 1 p.m. meeting with the Ministry, social media firms and other online firms asked for more time to send in comments on the draft amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The firms’ representatives, however, did not mention the surge in high-profile censorship of their users, two attendees at the meeting told The Hindu. During the meeting that followed, with certain civil society representatives, lawyers and think …

CPI(M) slams AIR, Doordarshan in Assam for censorship of its speech

CPI(M) slams AIR, Doordarshan in Assam for censorship of its speech

Published by Parlour News

File photo of a person waving the Communist Party of India (Marxist) party flag. | Photo Credit: PTI GUWAHATI The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has complained to Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer against All India Radio and Doordarshan for deleting large portions of its written speech critical of the anti-people policies of the Bharatiya Janta Party-led government in the State. Suprakash Talukdar, the Assam State Committee secretary of the CPI(M), said the two broadcast media arms of Prasar Bharati resorted to “brazen censorship” in the name of vetting. He said that the party, a constituent of the Congress-led Opposition alliance, submitted its written speech to the Guwahati AIR and Doordarshan centres on March 29, fully adhering to the Election Commission of India’s guidelines. “It contained no prohibited contents like any references to foreign countries, remarks on the President of India, or constitutional authorities like the judiciary. The text of the speech also had no incitement against any communities or divisive content and no objectionable language,” the party’s statement read. “The speech only criticised the anti-people …

Kamal urges media to drop ‘censorship’ in context of films

Kamal urges media to drop ‘censorship’ in context of films

Published by Parlour News

Actor and MNM president Kamal Haasan. | Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has urged Tamil media to avoid using the term “censorship” with reference to films, noting that the word had been formally set aside after years of debate. In a social media post, he pointed out that India’s film regulatory body had been renamed the Central Board of Film Certification, reflecting a shift away from the idea of “censoring” cinema. He said the term “censorship” had been legally contested and rendered obsolete, and should no longer be used by media outlets. Mr. Haasan said a democratic government should not claim the right to censor art, a principle widely accepted in global cinema. He added that Tamil cinema had also stood by this position. Published – March 22, 2026 01:04 am IST 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: Source link

CNN reporter’s live ‘gaffe’ in Iran war coverage from Israel goes viral; ‘did she admit censorship?’ | Watch

CNN reporter’s live ‘gaffe’ in Iran war coverage from Israel goes viral; ‘did she admit censorship?’ | Watch

Published by Parlour News

As missile exchanges between Iran and Israel intensify, a comment made by a CNN reporter during a live broadcast has sparked strong reactions online. The moment came during coverage of Iranian missile attacks and Israeli interceptor launches, when the reporter said certain locations could not be shown due to restrictions, which has led to debate about media restrictions and rising tensions in the conflict. CNN accepts Israeli media limits during missile coverage: ‘doesn’t allow us’ (AP) CNN reporter mentions Israeli media restrictions on air During live coverage from Tel Aviv, a CNN reporter spoke about restrictions placed on media coverage during the missile attacks. The reporter purportedly stated on air that the Israeli government does not permit journalists to show certain locations, specifically where interceptor launches take place. The remark quickly drew attention because it appeared to openly suggest media limitations in Israel during wartime reporting. The CNN correspondent said, “We’re not showing you that…, because the Israeli government doesn’t allow us or want us to show where that may have come from..” Another user …

Nandita Das condemns the censorship of The Kerala Story 2

Nandita Das condemns the censorship of The Kerala Story 2

Published by Webster

Actress-director Nandita Das has condemned the “stifling” censorship on the upcoming film The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond. The actress attended the Sashakt Nari, Viksit Bharat by Chintan Research Foundation event. During the event, she spoke with IANS and shared her thoughts on the stay order passed by the Kerala High Court over the film’s release. She told IANS, “I feel that censorship is stifling for any form of art. It`s really important that art finds freedom. Some good work will come out, some bad work will come out, all kinds of things will come out but that`s how an individual or society becomes more discerning. That`s how we filter the good from the bad. Time is the greatest judge of any work of art, something that stands the test of time will always be something that has depth”. “In this process, there will be a lot of fluff, we will have to learn to ignore it but I am definitely not for censorship for any form of art”, she added. Earlier in the …

Kamal Haasan takes a dig at film censorship during college event in Chennai: ‘Is it a Censor or just glitch?’

Kamal Haasan takes a dig at film censorship during college event in Chennai: ‘Is it a Censor or just glitch?’

Published by Parlour News

Kamal Haasan is often known for his quick wit, frequently delivering sharp one-liners in public when people least expect it. Recently, the legendary actor took a subtle dig at films being subjected to censorship while speaking at a college event in Chennai. Kamal Haasan takes a dig at film censoring While speaking at Women’s Christian College’s Festeve ’26 in Chennai, Kamal Haasan screened his film Lead on Gandhi, which focuses on Mahatma Gandhi. As the chief guest of the event, the actor was watching the documentary along with the students when the screen suddenly froze due to a technical glitch. Reacting to the situation, the actor quipped, “Censor aa, thadangal aa? (Is it a Censor or just a glitch?).” The students immediately responded with laughter and cheers. Shortly afterward, the technical issue was resolved, and the screening resumed. Kamal Haasan’s remark comes amid recent reactions from several actors regarding delays in the censor process for Vijay’s Jana Nayagan. Kamal Haasan’s work front Kamal Haasan was last seen in a lead role in Thug Life, directed …