Days after his ousting from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Pahlaj Nihalani is back on celluloid, this time, as the distributor for erotic film 'Julie 2'.
Nihalani will be presenting the bold film, the poster of which sparked outrage on Twitter, mainly because it defies the 'sanskaari norms' that he once used to swear by.
Addressing the media here today at the trailer launch of the film, the former 'Sanskaari' CBFC chief, while replying to queries posed by reporters, said he would not use the CBFC as a publicity platform, adding that any decision taken by the board would be fully complied with.
"Every film was marketed in a different way. If my film goes to the CBFC, any decision regarding certification and censorship will be accepted. I will not use it to market the film," he said.
When posed with a question on his infamous objection with the word 'intercourse' in Imtiaz Ali's 'Jab Harry Met Sejal', Nihalani , while defending his project, said the problem with the former was the certification, not the content.
"The film was given a U/A certificate, and that is why the word was objectionable. If an adult film has such content, then that should raise questions," he said, adding that he was puzzled why the media had such problem in digesting his decision to produce the thriller.
When pointed out the blaring irony in the plot line and his 'sanskaari' ideology, and asked whether he would receive support from the industry for this film, Nihalani declared himself to be a 'soldier', ready to wage a lone war.
"I don't need industry support. If anybody has a problem with the content of the film, the matter can be taken up. I am ready to fight this battle alone. It is up to the CBFC to decide what to cut and what not to cut. I am not in that position anymore," he asserted.
The poster of the film has caused an uproar on Twitter, possibly because the film would not have been passed if Nihalani was still heading CBFC.
'Julie 2' marks the Bollywood debut of Raai Laxmi, and is a sequel to the Neha Dhupia-starrer 'Julie', which released in 2004.
Directed by Deepak Shivdasani, the film portrays the hardship faced by a new entrant to Bollywood, and is scheduled for an October 6, 2017, release.
The movie also features Rati Agnihotri, Sahil Salathia, Aditya Srivastava, Ravi Kishen, Pankaj Tripathi and Nishikant Kamant in crucial roles.
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