Just a few hours after Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said that he wants a “controversy-free Censor Board” and hinted at a revamp of the Board, the political circles in New Delhi are abuzz again with the possible ouster of Pahlaj Nihalani.
While there was buzz in November that the Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will be shown the door after his “embarrassing” Modi video, the whispers are getting louder since the past few hours.
Delhi is agog with rumours that Anupam Kher has been strongly lobbying for the coveted post.
If you notice, Kher has been extremely active in his support for the ruling party – he strongly protested against the ‘Award Wapsi’ movement and even met PM Narendra Modi to discuss the matter. He even lashed out at Aamir Khan when the actor spoke about the “growing intolerance” in the country.
Kher previously served as the Censor Board Chief in October 2003. However, his stint was cut short in October 2004 due to the change in the government then.
Coming back to present. One can’t really say if it is Kher’s persistent lobbying that has led the I&B Minister to openly disapprove of the functioning of the Censor Board.
The likes of Amol Palekar, Rahul Rawail and Ashoke Pandit were believed to be in the running for the post but according to sources, Kher is far ahead in the race.
When contacted, Kher said, “I’m not lobbying for the CBFC Chief post. Jis galli mein jaana hi nahi hai, usme main kyun dekhoon?”
Thumbnail Image Source: Indiablog & Indiaforum