Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 24, 2017)

In the face of the numerous controversies the unreleased film has got itself into, the makers of Padmavati decided to have a private screening of their yet-to-be-cleared by the Indian censor board film for people who they “felt” were important. This move was slammed by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief, Prasoon Joshi. Former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani and trade analyst Amod Mehra give their point of view on this.

THE STORY SO FAR...
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmavati has been under the scanner for more reasons than one. There are protests against the film, which is based on Chittorgarh’s Rani Padmini, for distortion of history while the CBFC has sent the film back citing technical reasons. Consequently, the release of the film, which was to hit the screens on December 1, has been deferred.

YOU CAN SHOW YOUR FILM TO ANYONE!
In the meantime, the makers organised select private screenings for the media, which hasn’t gone down well with the CBFC chief Joshi. “(It’s) disappointing that Padmavati is being screened for media and getting reviewed on national channels without CBFC having seen or certified the film,” he said in an interview. He added that the makers were doing this “to subvert the existing norm of film certification”.

However, Nihalani, producer and former CBFC chief, says that a filmmaker can show his film to anybody he wants to without a censor certificate. “But it’s wrong for people to comment on the film publicly. You cannot influence people or give your opinion,” he says. Trade analyst Mehra agrees with Nihalani saying, there is no written rule that one cannot show the film before it is certified.

“However, the unwritten law is that it can be shown only to those people who are concerned with the film like financiers and artistes. In the earlier days, the film used to be shown to the exhibitors from a business point of view. It was an unmarried print, with no background music, the sound was not good, mixing wasn’t done. These were ‘rushes’ shown for correction and consultancy, as they were trying to sell the film to distributors. But if you call somebody who will act on your behalf and do propaganda, it’s unethical,” he says.

TO EXPORT OR NOT TO EXPORT?
Another hot debate that is going on is whether it is right for the makers to send their films abroad for an international release without a censor certificate from India. Most films release simultaneously in India and abroad, and since one doesn’t need prints anymore, it is done digitally. However, Nihalani says that without a censor certificate, films cannot be exported. “But because of the digital era, makers are taking advantage of the format, especially the corporate companies. Without an Indian censor certificate, films cannot be exported because of the Customs Rule. When I was the chairperson, I had noted that, raised objection, and taken affidavit from the people who had exported their films,” he says. Even when it comes to films that are sent to film festivals abroad, he says that a new policy has been passed, according to which movies cannot be sent to international festivals without a censor certificate!

Interestingly, that’s exactly what the makers of Padmavati have done as they have already got a censor certificate from Britain. This, according to Mehra, is illegal. “One can’t send films abroad without a censor certificate from India, so how can they get a certificate from there?” he questions