Last month, Prakash Jha's new production Lipstick Under My Burkha, was screened for the Censor Board's Examining Committee (CBFC) and Jha was told that the film cannot be certified. The reasons were stated in a letter which said, “The story is lady oriented, their fantasy above life. There are contentious sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film refused under guidelines 1(a), 2(vii), 2(ix), 2(x), 2(xi), 2(xii) and 3(i).“
Currently, in London, a livid Jha told a tabloid, “As a country we must encourage freedom of expression but the CBFC refusing to certify films that tell uncomfortable stories discourages filmmakers from pushing the envelope. Films should challenge the status quo which is what Lipstick Under My Burkha perhaps does and I believe our audience deserve to watch it.“
Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, Lipstick Under My Burkha, is set in small town India and chronicles the secret lives of four women in search of some freedom. The cast includes Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur. Shrivastava, who is at the Glasgow Film Festival for the film's premiere on tomorrow, reveals that CBFC Chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani had watched the film with the Revising Committee after which she was called in and told that they had unanimously decided to not certify the film. "It's a feminist film with a strong female voice which challenges patriarchy. I think that's why they don't want to certify it. As a filmmaker, I stand by the story and will fight for it till the end," she said.
The film, Lipstick Under My Burkha has won the Oxfam Award for Best Film on Gender Equality at the Mumbai Film Festival and the Spirit of Asia Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Shrivastava, who assisted Jha on Raajneeti and Apaharan before adds that they are waiting for the official letter from the Revising Committee after which they will apply to FCAT. "I am travelling to some more festivals and hopefully I will have a hearing by the time I return in March," she said.
When the tabloid contacted Nihalani, he did not wish to comment on the subject after the Board had unanimously refused to clear it. When they pointed out that the official letter from the Revising Committee has not been received by Jha as yet, Nihalani said, "It's the producer's job to get it from the office."
