The release of filmmaker Prakash Jha’s upcoming production Lipstick Under My Burkha, starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Ratna Pathak Shah, has hit a roadblock after the Censor Board refused to certify the film.
Listing the reasons for denial of certificate, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in a letter, posted by Bollywood celebrities online, wrote, “The story is lady oriented, their fantasy above life. There are contagious sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film refused under guidelines (sic).”
The film’s director Alankrita Shrivastava criticised the CBFC’s decision saying it is an “assault on women’s rights”. The film has won the Oxfam Award for the Best Film on Gender Equality at the Mumbai Film Festival and the Spirit of Asia prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
