Karan Johar’s ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil‘ has landed in controversy all over again, this time, with the censor board of Film Certification (CBFC). The CBFC has cut three intimate scenes of Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan from the movie. The censor board has awarded the film with a U/A rating. This could possibly be the worst nightmare for the director, who was already worried over the ban on Pakistani artistes. Several organisations have also threatened Karan to stall the release of ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’.
It seems that the Censor Board found the steamy scenes to be inappropriate. Karan Johar tried defending and reasoned why the scenes were crucial to the storyline but in vain. As per the reports in DNA, Karan Johar personally attended the Censor Board meeting where they saw ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil‘ and despite appreciating the film’s theme, they objected to some scenes. One of the scenes had already been a part of the trailer. But is it all because of these three scenes or there is anything else that is driving the Censor Board anti-Karan Johar?
However, when we contacted Censor Board chairman Pahlaj Nihalani, he refuted the reports saying that they have only watched the movie and have not issued any certification yet.
A few months ago, Abhishek Chaubey’s ‘Udta Punjab‘ ran into trouble with the Censor Board. The movie didn’t have any bold scenes, but the name of the states and the cities in itself were enough reason to rub the censor board the wrong way. The board demanded as many as 94 cuts and the war got dirty when the makers of the movie dragged the CBFC to the court. At that point of time, Karan Johar came out in the support of the movie and wrote on social media, “Udta Punjab speaks of the reality of our times… censoring reality amounts to delusion…. the fraternity has to stand by what’s right!”
#UdtaPunjab speaks of the reality of our times….censoring reality amounts to delusion…..the fraternity has to stand by what’s right!!
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) June 6, 2016
Did this, by any chance, has been the triggering point for censor board’s backlash at Karan Johar? If this has been, then why is CBFC forgetting those times, when Karan Johar took a pathbreaking initiative to bridge the board and movie industry together? Karan Johar, who is known for making family dramas had his early encounter with the censor board during the release of Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra’s starrer ‘Agneepath‘.
(Courtesy: YouTube/BMF)
Back then, the director charmed the Censor Board by toning down the violent content of ‘Agneepath‘ as per the requirements. He just like any good boy, took U/A (parental guidance) certificate happily. Not only that, like an obedient person, he also went one-step ahead and explained the meaning of the U/A certificate on every poster of the film. The then censor board’s CEO Pankaja Thakur admitted that Karan’s initiative is a welcoming one. He further stated that this has definitely prompted a new line of thought in censorial policies.
This love-hate relationship between the Censor Board and the director is as complicated as the movie ‘Momento‘. Whatever the equation is, ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil‘ is the sufferer, if at all.
