The chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) says no one has a right to stop a film from being shown after it has been given a certification.
said it was wrong to target any kind of cinema for its Pakistani presence.
“We’ve given censor certificates to both Ek Tera Saath and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Both are equally eligible for release. No faction, political or otherwise, has any right to stop their release,” Pahlaj Nihalani said over the phone.
Nihalani said Fawad Khan was not the only Pakistan star to perform in a film. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has sung two songs in Ek Tera Saath.
“Ek Tera Saath releases this week. Why isn’t there even a murmur of protest against these songs? Only because it is a small film? Is Ae Dil Hai Mushkil a soft target because it is made by Karan Johar? Why are only high-profile films being made soft targets?” he asked.
Radical Hindu party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) earlier threatened to attack theatres if they screened Johar’s film.
On the intervention of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MNS chief Raj Thackeray agreed to allow the film’s release on the assurance that no other Pakistani artists would be given work in future.
There was also talk of Johar donating Rs50 million (Dh2.7 million) to the army welfare fund. Several commentators have called this extortion by the MNS.
Nihalani, a controversial figure himself for taking a stand against kissing scenes in films, also had a word of advice for filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Kashyap wants the prime minister to apologise for his visit to Pakistan. I suggest Mr Kashyap concentrate on making films instead of commenting on the prime minister’s policies. Modi ji knows what he is doing. But after seeing Bombay Velvet, India wants to know if Mr Kashyap knows what he is doing,” Nihalani said.
