Two censor board members have come out strongly against chief Pahlaj Nihalani alleging that he is working without involving others and taking arbitrary decisions on movie certification.
Nihalani was criticised on social media forums after it was revealed that board had shortened the length of kissing scenes in James Bond movie "Spectre" and cut some words.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, one of the members on the board, said he is planning to write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Information & Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley to bring to their notice the problems plaguing the Central Board of Film Certification.
"I am going to write to the PM and I&B minister requesting that the situation should be rectified. Entire board has to be taken into confidence. Mr Nihalani has become a joke. You can't cut words without context," Pandit told PTI.
The filmmaker said that there is a verbal order to cut certain cuss words from Nihalani which is not in keeping with the rules.
"He cut words from Rajshri's film 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'. How can anyone cut words from a clean film like this? They are known for making clean family movies but it was also censored," Pandit added.
He said the I&B ministry is currently busy with the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) but he will write to them very soon.
Another member Nandini Sardesai said the problems that they are facing with Nihalani are not new as he has been running the board unilaterally since being appointed.
"He runs the board without taking the members into confidence and this has been a problem since he came. You can tell a Bollywood film to get clearance from animal welfare board but how can Hollywood guys do it? A kiss is a kiss. How can you decide its length?" Sardesai told PTI.
She said the board members want the new CEO Anurag Srivastav to call a meeting to discuss these issues.
"We want the new CEO to call a meeting. The last one happened on July 31. I have met him and requested for a meeting. It has not happened till now and should take place as soon as possible. So that the board members who feel marginalised can discuss these problems.
