Rang De Basanti – Zittrex Store

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) landed in a major controversy last year when South actor Vishal levelled charges of bribery and corruption against its officials. Less than 6 months later, the CBFC is back in the news for the wrong reasons. The makers of a big-budget Bhojpuri film, Rang De Basanti, have been running pillar to post in order to get the censor certificate. They have accused the CBFC chairperson, Prasoon Joshi, of deliberately delaying the process as their film has a similar name to that of a 2006 Hindi film, starring Aamir Khan. They claim that Prasoon is probably doing so as he was associated with the Hindi film as a lyricist.

SHOCKING: CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi accused of delaying censor process of Bhojpuri film Rang De Basanti as its title is similar to 2006 Hindi movie; Pahlaj Nihalani LASHES out, “Prasoon ne producers ko laawaris bana ke rakha hai”

On March 5, Roshan Singh, the producer of the Bhojpuri film Rang De Basanti, wrote a letter to the CBFC that he had applied for a certificate on February 3. Though the screening took place on February 19 and the screening report was submitted on February 21, the process has been delayed due to a clearance from the chairperson.

Then on March 6, Abhay Sinha, president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) too wrote to the CBFC requesting urgent clearance, since Rang De Basanti is scheduled to be released on March 22.

With no update, the makers wrote another letter to the CBFC on March 9 in which they claimed that on March 8, they were asked to change the name of the film by a CBFC official on a phone call.

Bollywood Hungama exclusively accessed these letters and also spoke to Roshan Singh. He said, “The screening report was submitted on February 21 and then it was okayed by RO on February 26. Until March 6, we didn’t get any answer. That’s when we submitted a letter. I used to call them daily and when I went to meet them, I was made to wait for 4 hours. I asked why the certificate was not being given to us. But we were told, ‘We have no idea. He (the chairperson) is holding (the certificate)’.”

Roshan further added, “Since then, I have been calling them daily but to no avail. On March 8, I got a call from CBFC and I was asked, ‘Kya aap apni film ka title change kar sakte hai kya?’. I made it clear that it’s not possible as we have begun the publicity and the material has gone out. Also, we have applied in certain states for subsidy and the name of the film in the paperwork is Rang De Basanti. The caller said that he’ll pass on my message to the chairperson.”

He also said, “On March 9, we wrote another letter to the CBFC where we clearly mentioned that the chairperson is deliberately trying to hold the film as he is associated with the Hindi film, Rang De Basanti.”

Roshan Singh explained why he felt that Prasoon Joshi is deliberately targeting his film, “In 2008, a Bhojpuri film, Rang De Basanti Chola, had already been released. But Mr Prasoon wasn’t the chairperson then. Interestingly, another Bhojpuri film submitted for censor is Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam. Its screening happened a day after Rang De Basanti’s screening. But since the chairperson wasn’t involved with the Hindi film of the same name, he didn’t hold it. It was passed on March 5.”

When asked what his next step would be, he replied, “On Monday, March 11, I’ll personally hand over the letter. We are so tense now as our film is releasing on March 22.”

Pahlaj Nihalani, filmmaker and ex-CBFC chairperson and a vocal critic of the current chairperson, told Bollywood Hungama that he’s aware of this episode, “CBFC works only for the corporates. It doesn’t care much for small Hindi or regional films. If Rang De Basanti featured a big star, CBFC 3-4 din mein certificate de deti.”

As of March 8, the dashboard on the CBFC website shows the status of Rang De Basanti as ‘Pending for Review of Examination Report by Chairman’. Pahlaj said that this rarely happens. “Usually, the chairperson never clears. The CEO or RO does the needful. But since Rang De Basanti was the title and Mr Prasoon Joshi wrote its songs, a call was made to the makers asking them to change the film’s name,” he said.

Pahlaj Nihalani decided to help the Rang De Basanti’s makers when he heard their plight. “For the first time, I called him (Prasoon Joshi) 3-4 times,” he said. “But he didn’t pick up the call or revert even once. Since he has assumed the position, I have never called him. But this time, I couldn’t stop myself as I wanted to ask him why the poor filmmaker was being harassed. If a big Bhojpuri film is waiting for a censor certificate for as many as 3 weeks, who’s responsible for this delay?”

The veteran filmmaker then thundered, “The chairman is nikamma. He has no right to be in that position. I wonder why the government has allowed him to continue. Usne producers ko laawaris bana ke rakha hai. How can they ask him to change the title? They have registered it at a respectable organization like IMPPA. If there’s any problem, the committee decides what to do. How can the chairperson decide to tweak the title? He’s misusing power because of his self-interest.”

When asked what the makers should do, Pahlaj Nihalani drew parallels with the infamous Udta Punjab-CBFC row that took place under his chairmanship, “He (the producer) might not have any other alternative but to go to the Court. Court ne Udta Punjab (2016) ek din mein dekhi thi. The court then rejected all cuts and allowed only one modification. If the court can act so swiftly then, I hope they do it for Rang De Basanti. Here, the objection anyway is only for the title.”

Pahlaj Nihalani also brought up the issue of the U/A certificate given to Ajay Devgn’s latest release, Shaitaan, while the original was an adults-only film, “Vash (2023) was ‘A’ while the remake is U/A. If Shaitaan is a remake, how can both films get different ratings? It shows CBFC is biased towards big-shots and is against small producers.” Bollywood Hungama was the first one to report on this aspect.

Rang De Basanti stars Khesari Lal Yadav, Rati Pandey, Diana Khan and is directed by Premanshu Singh.

Tags : Bhojpuri, CBFC, CBFC (Censor Board Of Film Certification), Censor, Censor Board, Censor Board of Film Certification, Central Board Of Film Certification, Diana Khan, Khesari Lal Yadav, News, Pahlaj Nihalani, Prasoon Joshi, Rang De Basanti, Rati Pandey

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Bhumi Pednekar as Vaishali Singh in ‘Bhakshak’
| Photo Credit: Netflix

In her upcoming film, Bhakshak, Bhumi Pednekar plays Vaishali, a gutsy independent journalist who unearths a crime in a shelter home for homeless girls. Directed by Pulkit and bankrolled by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, the film premieres on Netflix on February 9.

Bhumi is known for headlining female-oriented movies. They offer her challenging roles to sink her teeth into and deliver a convincing performance. Bhakshak comes on the back of Thank You For Coming, in which she plays a woman seeking love and sexual pleasure, and Afwaah, a hard-hitting political drama. Bhakshak is yet another film that reflects the issues of society, told albeit in a different way when compared to her previous movies, says Bhumi.

Excerpts from the interview

Going by the trailer, you seem to have delivered an understated performance in ‘Bhakshak.’ As a journalist, you are reporting a serious issue in a non-sensational and straightforward way. What can you tell us about the character you are playing?

It was a conscious decision that we took. We have mostly seen journalism being portrayed on screen in one specific manner. So, we wanted to step away from that. Vaishali is an independent journalist in a small town who does her job for the love of her profession and she wants to do it with dignity and integrity. Big corporate companies aren’t supporting her, and she doesn’t even hail from a wealthy family. Vaishali isn’t a cop with the power of her badge or a gun; she manages her job with a small camera, a cameraman, and a van. She isn’t even going after a big story. In fact, when a big case comes up, she is not sure of taking it up. Vaishali isn’t a hero; she is a regular woman dealing with everyday issues. She is guts and glory through and through, but she doesn’t wear it on her sleeve because the character had to be relatable.

Where did you draw references to play this atypical journalist?

The world that Vaishali belongs to is the independent circuit of media. We don’t know their faces, but they are the media professionals who hit the nook of crisis first than some of the most successful journalists. I started researching about this world. I went through the YouTube channels of these independent journalists and I was curious about how they find news stories without adequate resources. My director, who is a phenomenal filmmaker, gave me further input about the character.

Is ‘Bhakshak’ a reflection of the trial by media or does it unfold like a powerful social drama? What makes it different from the rest of the thrillers?

The film intends to knock into our consciousness. Today, when we see an injured dog on the road, we don’t call an ambulance or a doctor. We just drive past it. We witness an accident and stop to take a video. You hear loud noises from the house next to you, and even though it’s been happening for months, you don’t intervene to see if the children and women in the house are fine or not. We are unaffected by things others undergo and the film wants to tap into that. Bhakshak is a socio-drama thriller where Vaishali fights for orphan children that nobody knows exist.

Sanjay Mishra and Bhumi Pednekar in ‘Bhakshak’
| Photo Credit:
Netflix

You seem to be a dependable performer for movies we broadly call female-oriented. How do you think it happened? Did you consciously chase such roles?

I think I got a little lucky with my first movie (Dum Laga Ke Haisha). It set the tone for my career. My choices after that worked commercially and critically. I found a group of filmmakers who showed faith in me as an actor. Even as a person, I like films that leave an impact. My art is my way of being a solution to society’s problems. Also, I was exposed to films high on content because of my mother (Sumitra Pednekar, anti-tobacco activist). I grew up watching films like Bazaar (1982) and Mandi (1983). Later on, I loved Hazaroon Khwaishein Aisi (2005), Rang De Basanti (2006), and Swades (2004).

In ‘Thank You For Coming,’ you had to entertain and also ensure the film’s message reaches the audience. How did you crack the character?

Thank You For Coming was home turf for me. My being is closer to the world of the movie. I know women like her. If you take away from the sexual problem shown in the film, I am bits of her as well. Generally, in our movies, urban female problems are not considered serious. That made doing Thank You For Coming exciting. My character isn’t ideal, and the idea wasn’t to create a quintessential heroine. She is a mess, and I mean it nicely. She isn’t perfect because she is real.

Do you think the film deserved more love?

I saw a narrative that said the movie made people uncomfortable. We are living in 2023; what are we even talking about? There was an accusation about the film not defending our culture, and I was surprised. I realised that I had to do more of these films. Thank You For Coming is the personal story of many women and I received a lot of love when the film was released digitally. It will remain one of the important films of my career.

ALSO READ:‘Afwaah’ movie review: Sudhir Mishra’s night out in a rumour mill

Does comedy come naturally to you, or is it a skill you have honed over the years?

I have been a part of different types of comedy dramas. Pati Patni Aur Woh was a romantic comedy. In that film, the dialogues were very crucial. If you don’t deliver such dialogues in the metre they are written, you aren’t going to be funny. They are thought-after jokes. Thank You For Coming and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan are situational comedies. In such films, the scope for improvisation is more as they are character-driven. Badhaai Do is a sensitive movie that deals with its subject in a humorous tone. In such movies, a lot depends on reactions. Raj’s (Rajkummar Rao) character is so funny because I was the one reacting to his buffoonery. I had to perform my role in a way that would get funny reactions. So, every movie improves your skills.

You have been part of films like ‘Bheed’ and ‘Afwaah,’ which talk about the times we are living in. Was it a challenge for these films, which weren’t mere entertainers, to cater to the masses? Did such films receive greater acceptance a decade ago?

Absolutely. I feel that has been the case post the COVID-19 pandemic. The audiences’ taste changes every two years. But I am not losing hope. Look at what happened with the 12th Fail. It’s not your so-called big-screen spectacle. However, the movie is entertaining and realistic. Films like Bheed or Afwaah will always find an audience when they drop on OTT. Honestly, not many went to watch these films in theatres, but they got so much love on the streaming space.

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