Censor Board Chief Pahlaj Nihalani
CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihlani on Thursday rejected as ‘baseless’ the allegations that the board leaked the copy of Udta Punjab online days before its release. “This is baseless, we abide by rules,” said Nihalani while talking to media.
The controversial film was leaked online on Wednesday, two days ahead of its scheduled release in theatres. However, the film’s team managed to remove it online on war footing from torrent sites.
As per multiple online platforms which had snapshots from the leaked copy, one could say it was a copy of the film submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as it also featured some scenes which the censor board had objected to.
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There were also reports that the leaked copy had a run-time of two hours 20 minutes.
“Udta Punjab” was in news after the censor board suggested that the makers alter the movie by 89 cuts. Later, it went to the Revising Committe, which brought it down to 13 cuts. However, the Bombay High Court on Monday gave the drug-themed movie a green signal for release after making just one cut and inserting three disclaimers.
The bone of contention for the CBFC was that “Udta Punjab” was showcasing Punjab in a poor light, with a highlight on its festering problem of drugs.
