The first film considered for certification under the leadership of Prasoon Joshi has just been banned.

The Punjabi film, Toofan Singh, that has been directed by Baghal Singh, which shows the hero Ranjit Bawa adopting terrorist tactics to fight corruption in the Indian bureaucracy and politics, has been refused certification on the grounds of excessive violence.

Says a source from the CBFC, “Toofan Singh is a terrorist, who goes on a rampage killing corrupt cops and politicians. And they’ve compared him to Bhagat Singh. The film is brutal and anarchic. We couldn’t empathise with its message of brute power, let alone grant it a censor certificate.”

Interestingly, the film has already been released overseas, while its future in India hangs in balance.