Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani skips I&B minister’s meeting with members

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajvardhan Rathore held a meeting with Board members and discussed ways to ensure more efficiency in its working. However, CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani, who has been at the centre of controversies recently, did not attend the meeting.

Following complaints by the film industry about attempts at “moral policing” by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Pahlaj Nihalani, the government has started working on overhauling the board’s working to make the certification process more transparent and film-maker friendly.

(Read: Some people don’t like that I’ve restored transparency in the CBFC: Pahlaj Nihalani)

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajvardhan Rathore, on Tuesday held a meeting with Board members and discussed ways to ensure more efficiency in its working.

Earlier, Rathore, who is on a two-day visit to the city, had met prominent members of the film industry on Monday and promised to address their concerns.

Rathore had invited board members from across the country. However, due to the short notice – the invite reached the members only on Thursday – most members could not attend. The four members who attended the meeting were Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Ashoke Pandit and Mihir Bhuta from Mumbai and Vani Tripathi, who happened to be visiting Mumbai. CBFC CEO Shravan Kumar was also present.

However, CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani, who has been at the centre of controversies recently, did not attend the meeting.
A source who attended the meeting said Nihalani was extended an invitation by the minister’s office but he cited ill-health and backed out, fuelling speculation about his imminent exit.

Rathore had told film industry members as well as the media on Monday that the certification process and the Board’s functioning “will not be hijacked by one person”, an assurance he repeated in today’s meeting of the CBFC. Even if Nihalani, who was replaced by Shravan Kumar as the official spokesperson of CBFC in the last board meeting, still stays on, indications are that his role may be diluted.
However, the proposed restructuring of the board may not be easy as several members have expressed their support to Nihalani’s list of banned words.

S Vee Shekar, a member of the Tamil and Telugu film industry who is also a member of the Board, said, “Cinema influences culture and allowing the use of cuss words will corrupt youth. I am in support of Mr Nihalani and will oppose the suspension of his circular when the discussion comes up in the next Board meeting,” he told The Indian Express.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the minister discussed possible ways to project CBFC as “progressive and filmmaker-friendly”. “He is very clear that the image of the institution needs to change. He is looking at taking the certification process online, but more importantly, adopting a standard process for certification based on the international rating system,” said Ashoke Pandit.

The meeting, however, was an informal one and concrete decisions on the proposed overhaul as well as on the banned list of cuss words are likely to be taken at the next Board meeting.

Source:: Indian Express