Thiruvananthapuram: Months after the Malayalam movie Janaki Vs State of Kerala (JSK) ran into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), another upcoming romantic movie, Haal, starring Shane Nigam, has been denied certification by the board.
The CBFC has asked for 15 cuts in the film, including scenes showing consumption of beef biryani and a rakhi, and portions containing phrases such as “Dhwaja Pranaman” and “Sangham kaaval und” (the Sangh will protect), according to the filmmakers. The movie was originally set to release Friday.
The movie’s director, Veera, told ThePrint that the film revolves around the journey of a couple in an interfaith relationship who face pressure from their families for religious conversion.
“Their issue is the movie’s content. Even if we remove all these references, they are giving us an ‘A’ certificate without giving any explanation. They are just saying that we are promoting a hidden agenda through the movie,” Veera said.
The director, along with producer Juby Thomas, approached the Kerala High Court Thursday, and the matter is scheduled for hearing Tuesday.
In the wake of the development, Malayalam movie producer Santhosh T. Kuruvilla said the “censorship” of cinema was nothing short of an attack on freedom of expression and artistic freedom. He said it was disheartening to see movies, made after spending crores and months of hard work, being subjected to cuts and edits.
“At a time when technology has advanced so much, when content of all kinds freely flows across time and geography, I fail to see the point of this outdated, heavy-handed censorship. Criticism, harsh criticism, or even extreme criticism, none of it can harm this nation’s culture or integrity. Isn’t that the truth?” he said in a Facebook post, adding that Haal deals with a relevant social issue and has a plot that will lead to serious discussion in the current political scenario.
It is the third clash between the Malayalam movie industry and the censor board this year.
In June, the CBFC had objected to the use of the name ‘Janaki’ in the courtroom drama Janaki Vs State of Kerala, starring Union minister Suresh Gopi. It told the story of a rape survivor named Janaki, another name for the Hindu goddess Sita.
The board had objected to questions posed by a lawyer in the film to the character bearing Sita’s name, essayed by Anupama Parameswaran, who is portrayed as battling against the system. The movie was released after the makers changed the film title to Janaki V vs State of Kerala.
Soon after, director M. B. Padmakumar revealed he had faced a similar issue when officials from the CBFC headquarters in Mumbai demanded he change the name of the lead female character from Janaki to Jayanthi in the movie Token Number.
In March this year, the Mohanlal-starrer Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj, faced significant backlash from right-wing groups over its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots and its critique of the Sangh Parivar. Although the film was given clearance by the CBFC, following the controversy, the filmmakers volunteered to make 17 cuts. The movie also received support from the ruling LDF in Kerala and the Congress.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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