Nihalani’ Film Rangeela Raja Finally Censored , but He’s Still Fuming

aThe longish battle of words(albeit one-sided) with the  Central Board  Of  Film Certification (CBFC) has ended  for Pahlaj Nihalani.  His film Rangeela Raja  which had been ordered 20 cuts by the  Examining Committee has been now  passed  with only three  cuts by   the  FCAT(Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal)  also known as  the  Tribunal.

But according to  Nihalani  even those cuts are  unjustified.

“They  have objection my using names  from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. Do they  think they own these scriptures? The  holy books belong to all of us. And  we know how to respect them. They also feel I was  disrespecting women  in  the film. I’ve never done that in my  40 years as a filmmaker.In our family women run the show, ” spews  Nihalani.

He feels the  CBFC has  practised a vendetta policy on him.  “Since I was  the CBFC chairperson  and I am  no longer  there, they decided to teach me a lesson. The  twenty cuts that they originally ordered were all unwarranted,unjustified and  grossly unfair. If  I was  the  CBFC chairperson I wouldn’t have ordered a single   cut in my film. But then I don’t know where my successor is. I’ve never met him during my attempts to get my film out the CBFC’s clutches.”

Now that  the  film is  cleared  Nihalani will release Rangeela Raja on January 11. “I can’t release  it in December with Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero or Ranveer Singh’s Simmba.Who will pay for  the  heavy losses I’ve suffered because  of  the delay?”