EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

CBFC

Pahlaj Nihalani

James Bond

Bollywood

bones

Anil Thakraney

women

the hub

Anil Kapoor

Juhi Chawla

fun.

Left to itself, if there is one thingwould like censored, it is the current chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) — Pahlaj Nihalani. The regressive, often outrageous diktats the board has been spewing lately have all been traced to him. Needless to say, they have left most of his colleagues on the committee squeamish and a revolt is brewing. Some openly accuse Nihalani of being a stooge of the current political dispensation running the Union government. For his part, the man makes noabout his affection for Modi. After all, he has just put out a film that has audiences at cinema theatres making a beeline for the snack bar.Nihalani has the exalted position of being an industry veteran, with 40 years in the business of making and distributing films. So what if his films didn’t delight film critics or comments on his work aren’t exactly flattering? Contrary to the low profile he has maintained until now, his tenure as the censor board chief has him holding centrestage, even if for all the wrong reasons. Here he is, braving questions fromon the assorted controversies he is entangled in.I am planning to. I am concerned about the students. After all, these young people will come into the film industry. The industry needs good people from FTII. I want the students to focus on their work. My film will not be against the students. But, what the students are doing today (the protests) is not good. My film will be based on FTII’s working system and the politics behind it.I was misquoted. I called the people who are returning their awards as anti-government. Some of these students are being instigated by filmmakers who are anti-government.I don’t know. They have always chosen a person from the film industry. I have been in this industry for fifty years. I write my films, I direct, I produce. So my work has given me the job. I have personal experience in how movies get certified. I have served as president of the industry body in the past.I am not tough on anything, otherwise all films would have been rejected. Under my chairmanship, hardly any movie goes into the revising committee. We clear movies at the first step itself. We are more liberal than the previous board.Does that mean I stop doing my business because I have a honourary CBFC job? I don’t watch the movie unless they come up to the revising committee. People know I have a clean image and a tough working system. I will never make a film where there is conflict of interest.Times have changed, we now have the digital platform and social media. People want to project whatever is in their mind to the public. Look at the case of the James Bond film. They are making fun of it as ‘Sanskaari Bond’. Someone put out a wrong story, social media picked it up and they have damaged the film and its producer. In the last two Bond films, they did not allow any intimate scenes. And we allowed them to show the kiss in Spectre. I accept that there should be a change in guidelines according to today’s youth. However, to satisfy that, we have to change the ratings system completely. I recommend new categories: 12, 12+, 15, 15+, A, A+ and A++. That way, even parents get to know exactly what kind of films their child is watching.If they want to make such kind of movies, then they have to forget different revenues. If you are so confident of your work, why are you dependent on television revenue? At least they will fulfill their need for freedom of expression.That is not in my hands, I am nobody to change guidelines, that’s up to the government. I have to follow rules and regulations that are in place. In any case, we cannot allow people to do whatever they want.No, I don’t. There has to be a Lakshman Rekha. A few thousand people on Twitter don’t know what India is. India is a land where people put Gangajal on their face. Aap chahte ho aise desh mein sab free ho? Even if some producers decide to put their films only on the digital platform, the government will definitely introduce censorship.So, why didn’t people object to the earlier Bond films? There was not a single kiss shown in Skyfall. That time, no one thought of the sanskaari thing? We have passed the kiss! We only asked them to reduce the duration by twenty seconds.(Gets angry). This means you want to do sex in your house with your door open. And show to people the way you are doing sex.(Gets more angry.) You are asking the same question again and again. You have any further questions or not?That was Ashoke Pandit (CBFC board member) preading wrong information and creating panic in the industry.That issue is over. The list has been withdrawn by the board. It was an internal matter. It should never have gone to the public.There is a guideline from the Maharashtra government. From 1995, the name has changed to Mumbai, you cannot use the old name anymore. We will not allow anyone to use Bombay in any film that’s set in the period post 1995.We have to follow policies of a state, whereof Bollywood is located.You have a wrong perception.That is your feeling, your taste. (In a sarcastic tone:) You are a genius, I am not a genius. I have made the film with full conviction and quality. I have used the best people, best technicians.No. I sent him a note that I was doing this video. He was busy with his work, I did not get a response. I made the film with my own money, it’s my love for the prime minister.I am showing you the future of India in the film. What our smart cities will be like.Are you saying those people clapping in the cinema halls are fools? You have to understand cinema, don’t go by a few people on Twitter. People are respecting it, like a national anthem.(Annoyed.) I don’t want to know your point of view, I have to see what the masses like, I have to identify the character. When you make a film, you have to see the larger picture. When I have shown the nation in a positive way, you have an objection. And you want cuss words to be allowed!I have seen his dedication for the nation from when he was not even a chief minister. I have seen his work, I have seen his body language. He is one leader who can run this country.That movie was cleared by the censors. Then, some politicians raised an objection and got the movie banners removed. The movie then went to the ministry and they cleared it as well. Even then, I offered to burn the negatives. Finally, I removed the song from the film.Don’t ask me, it’s my freedom of expression. And why aren’t you talking about my other films?Did we not clear Masaan? And Margarita with a Straw? You have double standards in your mind.