CBFC chief Nihalani is oligarch and dictator, says Anurag Kashyap

New Delhi: While the drug-themed film Udta Punjab'(Punjab On a High) seems to be staring at a prospect of a delayed release amid speculations that the censor board’s Revising Committee has suggested 89 cuts in it and removal of all references to the state of Punjab including from its title, its co-producer Anurag Kashyap who has had run-ins with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in the past, on Tuesday described the board’s chief Pahlaj Nihalani as an ‘oligarch’ and a "dictator".

Mr Kashyap vented his anger through social media amid raging speculations that the Shahid Kapoor-Alia Bhatt-Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer film, which is scheduled to release on June 17, may face delay.

Attacking CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani, Mr Kashyap called him an oligarch and a dictator and that it was like living in North Korea.

Mr Kashyap's frustration may seem justified, considering the fact that his very first directorial venture Paanch faced censor trouble in 2001 owing to its graphic depiction of violence and usage of abusive language. When contacted, I&B ministry officials said the CBFC is independent when it comes to certification of films.