Lipstick director a liar, says Nihalani; filmmaker dismissive

The feud between Pahlaj Nihalani, chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, and Alankrita Shrivastava, director of the film Lipstick Under My Burkha, continues. Following a recent interview by Shrivastava, in which she spoke of how she was treated by the CBFC when trying to get her film certified, Nihalani says that the filmmaker is carrying on about the film’s rejection just for publicity.

Nihalani says, “These are tactics to draw attention to her film. You tell me, what’s the only point of curiosity about the film? That the [CBFC] Examining Committee rejected her film? She has been cashing in on that for months now.” He adds that the term “lady-oriented”, used to describe the film, didn’t come from him. “It was [written in the letter] by the committee. I neither viewed nor expressed my opinion over the film.”

Shrivastava said in that interview: “The Examining Committee was divided in its opinion, so, we approached the Revising Committee. Nihalani, who was present at the screening, made me feel like a criminal.” Nihalani refutes this, saying, “She is a liar. I was never aloof or rude... I very clearly remember asking her to sit. She didn’t respond. I told her that her film was rejected by the Examining Committee. She said she knew that would happen. It was a civil, to-the-point conversation. How did that make her feel like a criminal? Does the film have anything else to recommend itself ?”

In response, Shrivastava tells us, “In a democracy, the certification process can’t be a situation where you have to feel like you have to protect your film. It should be a matter-of-fact procedure.”

I have nothing against [Nihalani]. All I’m saying is that the whole idea and procedure of censorship should be thrown out of the window

ALANKRITA SHRIVASTAVA, FILMMAKER

What’s the only point of curiosity about the film? That the CBFC rejected it? [Shrivastava] has been cashing in on that for months now

PAHLAJ NIHALANI, CBFC CHAIRPERSON