Pahlaj Nihalani to step down as Censor Board chief?

New Delhi / Rumours have it that Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani might have to resign from his post. While there is no official announcement about the same as yet, we managed to talk to a source at the CBFC office.

The source said, “He was definitely not good for the film industry. Many directors and producers were very unhappy with Nihalani’s work.”

There is also news that Indu Sarkar director Madhur Bhandarkar, Lipstick Under My Burkha producer Prakash Jha and Pinjar director Chandraprakash Dwivedi are being considered for the post of CBFC chairperson.

However, Madhur Bhandarkar denied any such developments. When we spoke to director Madhur Bhandarkar, he said, “I am working on Indu Sarkar and then two films after that. I do not have the time and energy to become a part of the CBFC, more because I don’t like the way it functions.”

Reactions on the same from Prakash Jha and Chandraprakash Dwivedi are awaited.

Pahlaj Nihalani, after having an issue with the “lady-oriented” film Lipstick Under My Burkha, objecting to the word “intercourse” in Jab Harry Met Sejal trailer and demanding removal of words like “Gujarat” and “cow” from the Amartya Sen documentary The Argumentative Indian, on Monday revealed he has a problem with actors’ on-screen drinking and smoking despite having a warning on the screen.

Pahlaj Nihalani Evades Question On ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ Certificate Row

According to a recent report in Quint, the chairperson of CBFC has an interesting take on actors especially the superstars consuming alcohol on the silver screen. He was quoted as saying, “Merely putting a ticker warning at some remote corner of the screen whenever there is smoking or drinking shown, is not enough anymore. We feel the superstars who are followed by millions and who set an example in societal behaviour must not be shown drinking or smoking on screen unless the provocation for doing so is really strong.” Adding to this Nihalani has said, “A film where alcohol is essential would have to go with an A certificate.”