Kahaani 2 Declared Suitable Only For 15+ In The UK
The censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani has a lot to gloat about. Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani 2 which was given an all-clear ‘UA’ by the Indian censor board , has been certified with ‘15’ by the British censor board.
This means , in the UK kids below 15 cannot watch the film whereas in India children of all ages can watch Kahaani 2 provided they are accompanied by an adult.
Citing the reason for the ‘15’ certification the British Board Of Film Certificationmentioned “references to child abuse” and “strong violence.”
Says censor chief Pahlaj Nihlani, “We did make a note of the strong violence and the references to child abuse. But we still decided to go with ‘UA’ rather than ‘A’(AdultsOnly) for Kahaani 2. The reason? Because we feel it addresses powerful issues related to the safety of women and children . We feel the theme of child abuse must be open to children, as children in our society are often targeted for abuse for their innocence in these matters. A strong film like Kahaani 2 makes a mature and reasonable statement on women’s empowerment and child abuse in a responsible way. We are proud to allow children access to the film.”
Nihalani promises winds of change in the workings of the censor board. “We are looking at a far more liberal policy than earlier. It’s the sign of the changing times.Whether it is the dark grim social reality of Kahaani 2 or the casual kissing in Befikre, our policies would try to reflect global changes and trends.”
Incidentally the multiple smooches in Befikre which were allowed to go scotfree by the Indian censors has apparently raised the hackles of censor board in the Middle East.
It appears as though the CBFC has pre-empted Shayam Bengal’s committee appointed to bring reforms in the workings of the CBFC.
Laughs Nihalani, “I don’t know about that. But yes, we at the CBFC are seriously looking at reforms in the certification policy.At this rate we may soon allow even pornography with a suitable rating.”
