The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has issued an official statement amid the controversies surrounding Ashoke Pandit's upcoming film 72 Hoorain. A day after Pandit lashed out at the Censor Board, the CBFC said in its statement that 'misleading reports' are being circulated that 72 Hoorain has been refused certification by them.
Contrary to the reports, the CBFC stated that the film was granted 'A' certification and its trailer is 'under due process'.
The statement further read, "The applicant was asked for requisite documentary submissions under intimation and upon receipt of the same, certification was granted subject to modifications. A show cause notice communicating the modifications was issued to the applicant/filmmaker on 27-6-2023 and the same is pending for the applicant's response/compliance."
The Board further clarified that 72 Hoorain was granted 'A' certification and the certificate was issued on 4-10-2019.
"Now, the trailer of the said film is under due process which was applied to CBFC on 19-6-2023 and examined in accordance with the Guidelines issued under Section 5B(2) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952," the censor board added.
Ashoke Pandit slams CBFC
Soon after the trailer of 72 Hoorain was shared by the makers digitally, Pandit criticised the CBFC for denying a censor certificate to the film's trailer.
"They (Censor Board) have asked us to remove some scenes and words from the trailer, but they have no objection to keeping those scenes in the film. We are questioning this contradiction. This film is not against any religion and is dealing with terrorism," he said.
Earlier, the makers stated that they will be taking this matter to higher authorities for assistance. They said that they will also request the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to intervene in the matter and to question the higher authorities of CBFC.
72 Hoorain Controversy
Decrying the negative portrayal of Muslims, prominent religious and political leaders in Kashmir had earlier said that the movie "hurts the sentiments" of the community.
The film had its premiere under the Indian Panorama section at the 2019 International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, where it received the ICFT-UNESCO GANDHI MEDAL Special Mention. It is all set for a theatrical release on July 7.
Directed by Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, the film stars Pavan Malhotra and Aamir Bashir in the lead and focuses on the consequences of violent extremism.
