HT Cafe

Lipstick Under My Burkha makers to approach tribunal

As the CBFC refuses to certify Prakash Jha’s Lipstick Under My Burkha, director Alankrita Shrivastav­a says they will approach the Film Certificat­ion Appellate Tribunal (FCAT)

- Anjuri Nayar Singh anjuri.nayar@hindustant­imes.com

The Central Board of Film Certificat­ion’s (CBFC) refusal to certify Prakash Jha’s film, Lipstick Under My Burkha, came as a shock to the makers as well as members of the industry. A letter from the CBFC, which lists the reason behind this move, has been circulatin­g on the Internet. It reads, “The story is lady oriented their fantasy above life. There are contanious sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornograph­y and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film refused under guidelines (sic).” Director Alankrita Shrivastav­a (inset) says that they will now approach the Film Certificat­ion Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). “After we got the letter, we went to the revising committee two to three days ago. I went to meet Mr Nihalani (Pahlaj Nihalani, CBFC chairperso­n) after the screening. He told me categorica­lly that they have decided to not certify the film. So the next step is to go to the tribunal,” she says. The film, which stars Konkona Sensharma (left), Ratna Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, is about the lives of four women, seeking freedom to fulfil their desiresdes­ires. The director feels that this decision of the board is to silence women voices. “This is a way of stifling women’s voices. It’s like saying that women don’t have the right to tell their story. I feel that things said in an honest way from a female perspectiv­e might not be convenient for a patriarcha­l society,” she says.

Konkona says CBFC guidelines need to be updated. “You can give the film an A certificat­e, and willing and consenting adults will watch it. I don’t know why they (censor board) are taking decisions on anyone’s behalf. What gives them so much power? I feel that the guidelines need to be examined. We need to have more evolved and progressiv­e guidelines,” she says.

 ?? PHOTO: PRODIP GUHA/HT ??
PHOTO: PRODIP GUHA/HT
 ?? PHOTO: PRABHAS ROY/HT ??
PHOTO: PRABHAS ROY/HT

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India