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The Questions Censor Board Asked The 'Babumoshai Bandookbaaz' Maker Show They Know Jazz About Women

Not a surprise.
Screenshot/YouTube

The 'Censor Board', led by Pahlaj Nihalani, is no stranger to controversies. Recently Nihalani had said that he will allow the word 'intercourse' in Imtiaz Ali's film 'When Harry Met Sejal' only if people who are married, and over 36-years old, votes for it. He had refused to certify Alankrita Srivastava's latest film, 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' for various reasons that included "women's fantasies".

So it wasn't a surprise when the censor board asked the makers of Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer 'Babumoshai Bandookbaaz' to make 48 cuts before they'd give it an 'A' certificate.

But that wasn't all. According to reports, when producer Kiran Shyam Shroff and director Kushan Nandy went to meet the CBFC members, they were humiliated. The board reportedly made personal remarks against Shroff, which reeked of blatant sexism.

On Thursday, Shroff told the press that members of the Censor Board were astonished that she, as a woman, could have produced a film filled with expletives and explicit scenes.

These were some of the questions that the director was asked by the CBFC board members:

"How could you make a film like this despite being a woman yourself?"

"Can you explain why such objectionable words and scenes are there in the film?"

"How can she be a woman as she is wearing a pant and shirt?"

Shroff has challenged the 48 edits ordered by the Censor Board. "We were fine with 'A' certification, but asked about 48 cuts." And when she asked them why is there a need for cuts when it already 'A' certified, the board said it's because kids also watch an A film.

When Alankrita Shrivastava, the director of 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' had approached the revising committee for her film, she said Nihalani, who was present at the screening, made her feel like a "criminal".

Nihalani's response to it was: "She is a liar. I was never aloof, rude or uppity with her... I very clearly remember asking her to sit."

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.