The movie maker Prakash Jha has strongly attacked Pahlaj Nihalani, the Censor Board chief, and said that he has no understanding of cinema at all. This happened because Pahlaj has demanded that Prakash should edit the word “saala” which is used 70 times in his upcoming movie “Jai Gangaajal” starring Priyanka Chopra. A revision committee was set up on the demand of Prakash, the chairman of which was Pahlaj. The committee has recommended sanctions which are stricter than the earlier ones.
This is what Prakash stated when speaking to CNN IBN, “Nihalani doesn’t understand the nuances of cinema. My earlier films have had more cuss words, there was no trouble then. Nihalani, out to settle his own personal agenda, is detrimental to the entertainment industry. Cinema is about capturing local ethos, Nihalani doesn’t understand this. Nihalani was unwilling even to set up a committee. He told me he was in Delhi for a wedding. Shows how serious he is about his job.”
Reacting to the comments of Prakash, Nihalani said, “I have cleared the film. What is he complaining about? He wanted U/A certficate. Therefore, we had to make cuts. If he wanted A certificate, we would not have made a single cut. He can go to tribunal if he is not happy. I can’t react on decisions I took on each and every film. Jha is doing this for publicity. I stand by my decision. It’s not just ‘saala’ but several other cuss words were cut. Who is he to decide ‘saala’ is not an abuse? He insisted only Ashok Pandit watched the movie so that it gets cleared. How can I allow that? Therefore, I headed the review committee and it’s my job.”