Prakash Jha gets past the censorboard

Enough, as they say, is enough. Beleaguered by constant censorial trouble over the songs of his new film Chakravyuh, Jha earlier this week approached the honourable Tribunal in New Delhi requesting them to overturn the decision taken by the Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) to ban the remix version of the controversial Mehngai song. In a historic judgment the Tribunal on Tuesday overturned the CBFC’s decision to ban the remix version of the Mehngai song which apparently takes snide digs at the ‘raider cop’ Vasant Dhoble by showing a group of youngsters in the fun mode being interrupted by lawmakers. The CBFC in all its wisdom decided to ban the music video apparently arguing that it was casting aspersions on individuals. Jha fought back by taking the ban to the Tribunal and getting it revoked. Significantly the song had been banned by both the bodies of the CBFC, the Examining Committee (EC) and the Revising Committee (RC). By moving to an arbitrating agency outside the censorboard Jha has effectually thumbed his nose at the censor board, not just questioning its authority over the content of a film but also sending a clear signal in the Mumbai film industry that a film’s fate needn’t always be clinched at the CBFC. Jubilantly Jha said, “I approached the Tribunal after the remix of my song was rejected first by the EC and then the RC at the CBFC. I couldn’t see the logic of it, since earlier the same song had been passed by the censorboard. How can the remix version of an approved song be banned? I approached the Tribunal which heard my case on Tuesday and they kindly revoked the ban.” Prakash said he isn’t feeling vindicated by the triumph. “I am exhausted by the constant tug ‘o’ war with the censorboard. Almost every film of mine from when I made Damul in 1985 has faced censor trouble. We need clearer policies. At the moment there are way too many contradictions,”