Censor Chief Pahlaj Nihalani and senior board member Nandini Sardesai are fighting again.
Last night, Sardesai was shocked to learn that Pahlaj had informed the I & B Ministry that she is spearheading the campaign to ban Pritish Nandy's upcoming Sunny Leone starrer Mastizaade.
This was conveyed to Sardesai by Nandy on e-mail. Wrote Nandy: "My apologies for this delayed email. The whole day was spent looking for the right legal representation since the CBFC served us today, a 2 week back-dated rejection letter, rejecting outright the film for certification for the second time. The grounds are too specious to list. The presiding board member had told us, after the screening and in the presence of the RC (Revising Committee), that she was registering a dissent against the decision to reject the film. She recommended an A certificate with some cuts.
Yes, I was told that Pahlaj Nihalani has informed the Ministry that you are leading the charge against the film and want it banned. When I heard it this morning, I called you because I knew you were neither in the EC (Examining Committee) or RC screening. And it was unlikely that a person of your reputation would want a work of creativity banned without even seeing it. There is clearly a lot of lies floating around in the CBFC and reputations are being besmirched only to protect the ego of one man."
Sardesai flew into a rage and sent a copy of Nandy's letter to all the CBFC board members: "What sort of canard is being spread by this man who has turned into a megalomaniac. I am so upset and vexed.
By the way who was the Board member, I wonder, since I am the only woman (on CBFC) from Mumbai. Perhaps the chairperson got a board member from outside amchi Mumbai!"
Ashoke Pandit got into the melee and sent an email to Sardesai, which read: "The board member that day was Vani Tripathi. I had asked CBFC'S CEO (Shravan Kumar) to furnish the list of RCs undertaken during past 3 months, or since the present chairman took over... and also the details of who presided on each of the RCs... I believe we should know these details before we go for the (next) board meeting."
Phew! When will the in-fighting in CBFC end? Does it augur well for the future of Indian cinema?
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