Is CBFC changing its stance on film references to demonetisation?

KOLKATA: Is the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) going soft on films that have dialogues critical of note ban? If the CBFC’s list of cuts are to be considered from ‘Shunyoto’ to ‘Meghnad Bodh Rahasya’ and more recently, ‘Chaya O Chobi’, there seems to be a distinct change in approach. In a span of five months, CBFC has moved from recommending six cuts in ‘Shunyota’ to no cuts in ‘Chaya O Chobi’.All these films have references to demonetisation.
Said a CBFC source, “It is not fair to portray CBFC officials as being vindictive. The advisory panel members see the film in totality and then give the cuts keeping in mind the guidelines.”
In April this year when Pahlaj Nihalani was still the CBFC chief, Suvendu Ghosh’s ‘Shunyota’- India’s first film on demonetisation – got a UA certificate after agreeing to six cuts. Ghosh had approached the CBFC for certification of the film on March 16. The plot of ‘Shunyota’ revolves around a writer releasing a book of three stories. The first story is based on the life of a daily wage-earner in a colliery; the second is about a couple who come to a hospital for their child’s treatment, and the third is about a Kakdwip-based trawler repairer. The writer traces the catastrophic effect of the note ban on these three families. At the end of the film when the author is asked if he supports demonetisation, he replies in the negative. Among the lines that CBFC wants muted is one in which the writer claims that even though his stories are fictional, they are very close to reality.
In July this year, CBFC allowed Anik Datta’s ‘Meghnad Bodh Rahasya’ to retain a dialogue showing a blink-and-you-miss character ruing over the fact that the government he had voted for has taken away all his money. A month later, Kaushik Ganguly’s ‘Chaya O Chobi’ didn’t get a single cut even though the film’s first half criticises note ban. “I suppose, the CBFC didn’t feel that my movie was a protest against the central government. Besides, we didn’t support black money in the film,” Ganguly said.
In Ganguly’s film, Churni Ganguly plays an NRI director shooting a movie in Darjeeling during December 2016. Trouble breaks out when her father-turned-producer faces played by Barun Chanda can’t pay the promised 30% advance to his film’s heroine played by Koel Mallick. The latter refuses to accept old currency even though these are the personal savings of the producer’s mother. Tension mounts as Mallick disappears and refuses to return unless her advance payment is made. Chanda has dialogues questioning why banks have refused people to withdraw beyond Rs 15,000 in a week from their personal accounts. “Kaushik has used the demonetisation issue intelligently. There is a tongue-and-cheek approach. The film isn't a critique of the Modi government and is a story about relationships. I’d say, CBFC has shown maturity in clearing these lines,” Chanda said.
What’s interesting is that the film also has lines where references are given to black money being pumped into productions and post noteban problems faced by stars who earn in hard cash from ‘macha’ shows. When Ganguly was asked if Prasoon Joshi’s entry as the CBFC chief has anything to do with this change of heart, he said, “Prasoon had just joined when I applied for certification. The praise for clearing an uncut film should go to the local CBFC officials.”