They all say cut
Every case is different. Punjabi Sardaarji 3: The price it pays for starring a Pakistani actress is forgoing an India release. Never mind that they made it before Op Sindoor, Indian producers lose out. Malayalam Janaki vs State of Kerala: CBFC decides the titular character suffering traumatic experiences causes grave offence to religious sentiments, because Janaki is another name for Sita. A name tweak is negotiated. Punjabi-Hindi Punjab 95 is a biographical film that has been hanging fire at CBFC since 2022. Its director says that the 127 cuts demanded will make it CBFC's film, not his. Hindi Udaipur Files: This one was kosher with CBFC but on the eve of its-pan India screening, Delhi high court enabled the objectors to make their case to central govt.
So, every case is the same. In India, any hurt-sentiment lobby can derail any film. Courts and govt cannot be relied on to deliver on freedom of expression guarantees. Worse, the statutory film certification body itself is often stepping up to do derailment. Sometimes, its 'decency and morality' obsession is reminiscent of Orwell's 1984 where a Ministry of Truth is constantly un-personing people for thoughtcrimes. At other times, its hatchet jobs remind observers of the 'blind and aimless fury' of Lewis Carroll's Queen of Hearts. Basically, CBFC is carrying on its job too much in tandem with its British Raj roots a hundred years ago. As if in a bizarre transference of the white man's burden.
From Trump's tariffs to digital disruption, India's film industry faces plenty of threats from outside India. At least stop clipping its wings at home. Stop forcing the taste of a few on all. Why assume that citizens are more thoughtless than the censors?
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This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
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