All posts tagged: Censorship

Ravi Kishan favours censorship in films, says it affects the youth

Ravi Kishan favours censorship in films, says it affects the youth

Published by Webster

Ravi Kishan recently opened up about the need for censorship in films, weighing in on the controversy surrounding Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj. For the unversed, the film reportedly failed to secure certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for several months. The film was then released on OTT and was later removed just two days after release. The actor-politician stated that he was unfamiliar with the details of Satluj, but emphasised that filmmakers must remain conscious of how stories can affect communities and younger audiences. Ravi Kishan on censorship Speaking to The Indian Express on July 24, Ravi was asked about his thoughts on the film’s certification troubles. Ravi did not get into the specifics of the Satluj dispute, saying, “I have zero knowledge about it. I just know that the film came and was removed. To be honest, I don’t know the details.” 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, …

Ravi Kishan supports censorship in films ahead of Mirzapur release: ‘Films affect the youth’ | Bollywood News

Ravi Kishan supports censorship in films ahead of Mirzapur release: ‘Films affect the youth’ | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

3 min readNew DelhiJul 24, 2026 05:01 PM IST Actor-politcian Ravi Kishan has had a three-decade long film career and as per his admission, he is known as the “national crush” and the “Brad Pitt of Bihar.” Ravi was a guest at The Indian Express’ Idea Exchange on Friday, July 24, where he was asked about the recent censorship troubles of Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj, which did not get a certificate, and even after its release on an OTT platform, it was pulled down just two days later. Ravi, who described himself as an “encyclopedia on cinema”, was also asked about the certification body and how he would feel if one of his projects were heavily censored by the CBFC. When asked about the recent censorship troubles encountered by Satluj, Ravi said that there must have been a “sensitivity” issue. He distanced himself from the subject and said, “I have zero knowledge about it. I just know that the film came and was removed. To be honest, I don’t know the details.” ALSO READ | Diljit …

Annu Kapoor backs Satluj OTT takedown, tells Diljit Dosanjh: ‘Why indulge in self-pity? Go to Supreme Court’

Annu Kapoor backs Satluj OTT takedown, tells Diljit Dosanjh: ‘Why indulge in self-pity? Go to Supreme Court’

Published by Parlour News

Diljit Dosanjh‘s Satluj landed in controversy after being taken down from ZEE5 just two days after its release. The government’s decision reignited the conversation around censorship and creative freedom, drawing mixed reactions from across the film industry after it took three years to release the film. While many have spoken against the move, veteran actor Annu Kapoor has come out in support of the government’s stand, saying the makers should fight the matter legally instead of seeking public sympathy. Annu Kapoor talks about the OTT removal of Satluj. Directed by Honey Trehan, the film was originally titled Punjab 95 and has spent years caught in a battle over certification. It eventually skipped a theatrical release and premiered directly on ZEE5 on July 3, since OTT platforms do not require CBFC certification. But within 48 hours, the film disappeared from the platform after the government directed ZEE5 to remove it, reportedly over concerns related to national security. Annu Kapoor says the makers should move the Supreme Court Speaking to Kadak, Annu Kapoor said the filmmakers should …

Tillotama Shome: Quite a few of my films did well abroad, but not in India

Tillotama Shome: Quite a few of my films did well abroad, but not in India

Published by Parlour News

The removal of Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satlaj (formerly titled Punjab ’95) within 48 hours of its release has reignited conversations around censorship and creative freedom in Indian cinema. The decision has found little favour within the film fraternity, with several actors and filmmakers questioning the withdrawal of a certified film and backing its makers. Actor Tillotama Shome believes the current debate is part of a much larger challenge that storytellers have faced across generations. Tillotama Shome: Quite a few of my films did well abroad, but not in India Sharing her thoughts on censorship, Shome says, “Whether it’s the restraints of censorship, whether it is the difficulty of mounting a film that the financiers or producers or distributors feel like it won’t have an audience, these are part of the challenge of storytelling, and they’ve been there from time immemorial.” The actor believes every era presents storytellers with a different set of obstacles. “In every civilization, there’s been a dominant voice. And there’s been an emerging voice. The challenge, the struggle for something new to take …

‘History must not be buried through censorship’: Punjab leaders condemn Satluj’s ZEE5 removal

‘History must not be buried through censorship’: Punjab leaders condemn Satluj’s ZEE5 removal

Published by Parlour News

Political parties and Sikh bodies in Punjab on Monday slammed the removal of Diljit Dosanjh’s film “Satluj” from an OTT platform, saying the movie compels India to confront one of the state’s “darkest chapters” and that history must be confronted with honesty, not buried through censorship. Satluj features actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the alleged secret cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies during Punjab’s militancy years. (Satluj/Zee5) Criticising the removal of the film from ZEE5 platform, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “This is not mere censorship, it is an assault on our collective memory, truth, and freedom of expression”. The film, originally titled “Punjab 95” and based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was released in India on streaming service ZEE5 on Friday last. However, it became unavailable on the platform just two days later. ALSO READ | Satluj row explained: Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra and why does his life story make Diljit Dosanjh film controversial? Senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira …

After 3-year censorship battle, Diljit Dosanjh’s Punjab 95 hits OTT ‘uncut’ under new title | Bollywood News

After 3-year censorship battle, Diljit Dosanjh’s Punjab 95 hits OTT ‘uncut’ under new title | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

After years of delays and an extended battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), director Honey Trehan’s much-awaited Punjab 95 has finally found its way to audiences. Now retitled Satluj, the film began streaming exclusively on ZEE5 on Friday evening. Starring Diljit Dosanjh, Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, among others, the film is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. It revisits one of Punjab’s darkest chapters, focusing on the disappearances, alleged extra-judicial killings and illegal detentions linked to the state’s counter-insurgency operations against Khalistani militancy during the 1980s and 1990s. The makers also unveiled the film’s official trailer, which runs for over two minutes and establishes the political and social climate of Punjab in 1995. Through a voiceover, Arjun Rampal’s character explains that while the police force was engaged in combating militancy, some officers allegedly exploited the situation for personal gain. The trailer then introduces Suvinder Vicky’s character, as a cop, who warns Diljit Dosanjh’s Jaswant Singh against speaking out against the police, …

Mirzapur the Movie teaser reaction: Fans miss Vikrant Massey’s Bablu Pandit, fear censorship

Mirzapur the Movie teaser reaction: Fans miss Vikrant Massey’s Bablu Pandit, fear censorship

Published by Parlour News

Mirzapur the Movie teaser reaction: The first teaser of the prequel to Mirzapur was released on Thursday, bringing the franchise’s signature bhaukaal and the intense rivalry between Munna Tripathi and Guddu Pandit to the big screen. The glimpse left fans nostalgic, with many missing Vikrant Massey’s Bablu Pandit, while others wondered if the film’s edgy content could face censorship ahead of its theatrical release. Mirzapur the Movie teaser reaction: The project is slated to release on September 4. Mirzapur movie teaser reactions The film is a prequel to the mega-successful Amazon Prime Video web series, and would see the return of Divyenndu’s Munna and Bablu Pandit, now played by Jitendra Kumar. As soon as the teaser was released, social media users flocked to various platforms to share their reactions. While many praised the glimpse and expressed excitement about seeing the Mirzapur universe on the big screen, several fans said they missed Vikrant Massey’s Bablu Pandit. Others wondered how the film would secure a censor certificate, given that the web series was known for its graphic …

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, …