A day after Tamil actor Vishal alleged that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) took Rs 6.5 lakh bribe from him, Indian Film & Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) and Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) has urged Prasoon Joshi to look into the matter and take strict action.
On Friday (September 29), IFTDA President Ashoke Pandit wrote to CBFC Chairperson Prasoon and said they are "concerned about the allegations" levelled against the censor board by Vishal. He also demanded CBI investigation into the matter.
"This is in reference to the allegations of corruption made against CBFC by the Tamil Actor, Mr. Vishal for screening of his film 'Mark Antony' and getting a U/A Certificate for Hindi Version. We at IFTDA are concerned about these allegations made against CBFC officials," Pandit's letter read.
"We therefore demand a CBI enquiry against the complaint made. If any official is found guilty, serious action should be taken against the perpetrator of this crime of extortion from the Producers. This is a dangerous trend which will be the reason for bringing bad name to the CBFC. We are sending a copy of the accusation of the Tamil actor, Mr. Vishal for your perusal and sincerely hope that you would take immediate action to redeem the image of CBFC," it further read.
IMPPA also demanded proper investigation and urged Prasoon Joshi to look into the matter.
Vishal's shocking allegations
On Thursday, Vishal alleged that the CBFC in Mumbai took a bribe of Rs 6.5 lakh for the censor certification of the Hindi version of his film Mark Antony. He shared a video and alleged that the officials demanded bribe in exchange for screening and granting a U/A certificate to his film.
He had also appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the matter.
Earlier today, the government took serious note of actor Vishal's accusations and ordered a probe into the matter. A senior officer from MIB has also been deputed to Mumbai to investigate further.
The officials from CBFC are yet to respond to Vishal's allegations.
Mark Antony is a science fiction action comedy film which was released on September 15. It is directed by Adhik Ravichandran and produced by S Vinod Kumar.
