Anurag Kashyap’s tweet in protest against the ‘Adults’ certificate for the trailer of Aligarh, and director Hansal Mehta’s tirade against the censor board has taken their toll.
The censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani has taken huge offence to the scathing attack. Aligarh is based on the real life incident of Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation.
Tweeted Kashyap, “Aligarh trailer has been given the A certificate because the film is about what all the Pahlaj Nihalani’s of Aligarh did to one man.”
Says Pahlaj Nihalani, “So I am supposed to be in some way responsible for the death of the professor in Aligarh? How much more would these filmmakers blame me for?"
"Hansal Mehta and his friends forget, homosexuality is unconstitutional in the country. I am not the one who makes the laws. I am asked to follow guidelines. And the guidelines clearly state that all content relating to sexual topics are not to be certified for underage viewing.”
He wonders if Hansal Mehta and his Aligarh team know what they are talking about.
“The screenplay writer Apurva Asrani credits the raunchy number Sarkayi lo khatiya to me. I don’t mind taking credit for David Dhawan’s doing. That song was duly approved of when it was sent for censor certification. I was not around then. But I am here now and I won’t bend rules just to appear liberal.”
Nihalani feels these are ways to generate interest in the film. “Mr Mehta seemed happy when he came to us for certification. We only asked him to make nominal cuts in Aligarh to be eligible for an ‘Adults’ certificate. There are scenes showing the protagonist dozing off in the courtroom".
"Hansal Mehta thinks that is not contempt of court. Let him try sleeping in a courtroom in front of a judge. Arguments that commercial films show worse things happening in the courtroom are invalid for Aligarh. This is a realistic film. Not an escapist fare.”
Nihalani says the trailer makes clear and direct references to homosexuality. “Would Anurag and Hansal tell me how I can break the law to get approval as a liberal CBFC chairperson? Let them take over my job. I’d be glad to let them do what they like with the certification of films.”
