Following the judgement by the Bombay High Court giving the green signal to the controversial flick Udta Punjab, senior lawyer and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader H.S. Phoolka said the board was clearly under political pressure as it has blatantly misused its power and tried to act as a 'censor' board instead of a 'certification' board.
Speaking to ANI here, Phoolka said that High Court rightly said that it is not the power of censor and that it is wrongly being called a censor board.
"We have been saying since Day one that the CBFC board does not have the power to pass this kind of order the way they have done it. Section three of the cinematograph calls it a board of certification and this board has wrongly used its powers. It did not have the jurisdiction," he said.
Asserting that CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani claim that the board was being financed by the AAP, shower the clear political pressure it was under.
"It is a statutory body and it is supposed to act under the law. Now after the HC judgement, it is very clear that they have misused its power and this is sufficient grounds to reconstitute the whole board," Phoolka added.
Meanwhile, flying high on the clearance of his film, producer Anurag Kashyap said that he is ecstatic but has lot of work in store for him if he wants the film to release on its scheduled date this week.
Speaking to ANI, Kashyap said that the verdict had indeed brought an incredible feeling, but there is a lot to do now and the team doesn't have much time.
"We have to deliver the film now with the said changes and disclaimers to the Censor Board, so that we get the certificate and can release the film. If we have to release the movie on 17th then we have lots to do with very little time," Kashyap said.
Earlier, Kashyap's lawyer Ameet Naik told the media that if the decision is challenged and taken to the Supreme Court then the 'Udta Punjab' team will defend the film tooth and nail yet again.
However, CBFC CEO Anurag Srivastav said that they would comply with the Bombay High Court's decision.
The High Court yesterday cleared the release of 'Udta Punjab', whose makers were locked in a dispute with the CBFC.
A division bench of the High Court directed the CBFC to certify the film within 48 hours to enable the makers to release it on its schedule this Friday.
The bench refused to stay its order on a plea made by CBFC counsel to enable the board to appeal against it in the Supreme Court, saying the filmmakers have already spent a lot on the movie and its promotion and distribution.
