CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani defends Ranveer Singh's 'butt expose' in Befikre

Mumbai: Upon release and even prior to that, one of the biggest talking points of Aditya Chopra’s ‘Befikre’ was Ranveer Singh’s butt naked scene from the film. The film, although got heavily panned by the critics and the audience, did manage to come up with a decent box-office figure.

However, the Censor Board has come under the scanner for having greenlit the nude scene, despite having played spoilsport over seemingly milder sequences on earlier junctures. (Read Udta Punjab and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil).

However, as per the CBFC honcho Pahlaj Nihalani, it’s just a matter of context. In an interview with DNA, he said, “We shortened Ranveer Singh’s butt shot quite a lot. Right now it’s just a glimpse, no more. What’s wrong with it? He is alone with his girlfriend in a room. They are doing what couples do when they are alone. Why is a butt shot objectionable? We’ve allowed butt shots in some recent Hollywood films. Also in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Jail.”

Pahlaj also defended the very frequent and intermittent kissing scenes in the film, which starred Vaani Kapoor as the leading lady.

“See, unlike Ae Dil Hai Mushkil , Spectre or Tamasha where the kisses were done in lengthy shots, in Befikre the kisses are scattered and largely fleeting and all over the place. They are part of the narration. As a filmmaker, I know what can be cut without hampering the flow of the narrative. In Befikre there is no way we could cut the kisses without interrupting the flow of the story. Aditya Chopra has treated the kisses as part of the story. If we removed the kisses we’d be hampering the storytelling,” he justified.

While the film has managed to gross 39.63 crore rupees approximately according to popular trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the controversy surrounding the alleged prejudice refuses to die down.

“It is just a matter of clout. If Mr Nihalani thinks it’s okay for people to kiss in Europe, why did he object to James Bond and Monica Bellucci kissing in Spectre? This CBFC has shown complete inconsistency and arbitrariness in their rulings. Everyone should be measured by the same yardstick,” DNA quoted popular critic Raja Sen as saying.

Pahlaj concluded defending all his decisions, saying, “We’ve cut all the close-ups of the kisses and the climactic kiss has been reduced by 50 per cent. The rest we couldn’t cut for apprehension of being accused of creative interference.”