'Udta Punjab' Grounded by Censor Board Over 'Excessive Swearing'

Censor Board works as per government rules: Amitabh Bachchan on Udta Punjab

 

 When asked about it at an event, Amitabh Bachchan said though he was not aware about the Udta Punjab’s issue with the board, he feels the body clears films based on certain rules.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan today said the Censor Board works according to certain rules and regulations set up by the government, even as the film body continues to be under the scanner for its decisions.

Censor Board Tries To Justify Why It Banned 'Udta Punjab' But No One Is Buying It!

The board has apparently raised objections while clearing director Abhishek Chaubey’s “Udta Punjab”, a film made on drug abuse in Punjab.

When asked about it at an event, Bachchan said though he was not aware about the Udta Punjab’s issue with the board, he feels the body clears films based on certain rules.

Udta Punjab and politics: What do AAP, SAD and Cong have to do with the film?

“I think the government has some rules and regulations and they have formed Censor Board for it (film clearance). They (the Board) have they their own rules. I don’t know the reason why they did it to them (makers of ‘Udta Punjab’). I think that the producers and the board would know,” he said.

From taking objection to Hansal Mehta’s “Aligarh” to cutting a kiss scene in James Bond franchise “Spectre” and more recently giving U/A certificate to Hollywood film “Jungle Book” stating it to be “too scary” for kids, the board has found itself at the centre of criticism for its certification criterion.

Udta Punjab fights for survival, censors demand 40 cuts

Shahid Kapoor plays a drug addict in Udta Punjab. (Instagram)

Udta Punjab, starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh, is the latest film to run afoul of the censor board. Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) recently refused to give certification to the much-awaited film on the pretext that it has “excessive swearing, abusive language and drug consumption”.

Details of the scenes that CBFC found objectionable have now emerged. A DNA report claimed on Saturday that the censor board ordered a massive 40 cuts and these include expletives, a song and visuals of substance abuse.

Udta Punjab takes a hard look at the drug abuse problem in the state of Punjab and its protagonist, played by Shahid, is a drug addict. The movie is directed by Abhishek Chaubey of Dedh Ishqiya and Ishqiya fame and is produced by Balaji Telefilms and Anurag Kashyap’s Phantom Productions.

Udta Punjab and politics: What do AAP, SAD and Cong have to do

The report also quoted a source as saying that the film’s producer Anurag Kashyap has approached the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in a bid to get a quick clearance with nominal cuts. The makers have also approached the minister of Information & Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore, to clear the film with an A certificate without any cuts, the report added.

Meanwhile, reports have claimed that the censor board’s refusal to give certification to the film is politically motivated. Punjab is heading for elections next year and drug abuse problem has emerged as a key election issue.

The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal has been opposing Udta Punjab ever since the trailer came out. The party has also expressed reservation about “negative portrayal” of Punjabis in the film but has shied from demanding an outright ban. SAD’s rivals, AAP and Congress, have used the drug issue to target the government and may try to capitalise on the film.

Watch Udta Punjab trailer

We tried contacting director Abhishek Chaubey as well as producer Vikas Bahl but they remained unavailable. Hindustan Times could not independently verify the reports.