NEW DELHI: He is not Bollywood’s darling. But the unfazed censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani has refused to sound the all clear to En Dino Muzaffarnagar, a film by Meera Chaudhary on the communal riots that raged between August and September 2013 in the western UP town, which resulted in at least 62 deaths.
“The home ministry has opined that the film is highly provocative and instigates communal disharmony between two groups. The film presents wide-spread violence and sharp communal division...,” Nihalani said in his April order.
Censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani has refused to clear En Dino Muzaffarnagar, a film by Meera Chaudhary on the 2013 communal riots in the western UP town. “The Home Ministry has opined that the film is highly provocative and instigates communal disharmony... keeping in view the input received from the Home Ministry, I have reviewed the film and found that the film indeed has the potential to create communal disharmony... CBFC has decided not to issue a certificate to the film,” Nihalani said in his order dated April 21, 2016.
Supporting his decision, government sources cited recent recommendations of the Shyam Benegal panel, which in its report submitted on April 26, 2016 clarified that the censor board can step in when a film contains anything that contravenes the provisions of Section 5B (1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
The filmmaker had moved the Delhi High Court after the film was also denied clearance by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). She had argued that the film will help bring peace and harmony between Hindus and Muslims.
After the court’s direction to the censor board to reconsider its decision, the filmmaker had submitted the film last month with some cuts. However, Nihalani isn’t budging. “It is found to be highly and openly critical of one group and certain individuals are condemned by name. The film tries to defame a group of individuals and presents an ex parte view of rights,” he said.
The ticket window remains closed for now.