Scoop: The CBFC To Take  Strong Action Against Rangoon For Breaking The Law

There is more troubled for the doomed Vishal Bhardwaj sunken epic Rangoon.

The film is now in serious legal trouble for playing in theatres without the  censor certificate and without flashing the anti-smoking statutorywarningThe shocking disregard for censorial rules came to light after the CFBC received complaints aboutRangoon blissfully flaunting rules. As per law the CBFC is all set to take the strictest possible legal action .

CBFC’s chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani said, “It has been brought to our notice that Rangoon has been playing in theatres across the country and outside India without showing the censor certificate and without the anti-smoking short-films which are compulsory for  all films that have scenes showing the actors smoking and/or drinking. In fact Rangoon had many scenes showing the main leads indulging in serious substance abuse. We had asked the makers to put a disclaimer before the opening credit-titles regarding the rampant  use of alcohol and cigarettes and other intoxicants in the film. That disclaimer has gone missing. Now we  are informed that the anti-smoking films do not play at the beginning and after intermission.We are also informed that the censor certificate is not flashed at the start, as per , law. These are serious offences.”

Nihalani says the CBFC is initiating strict criminal and legal action. “We are taking optimum legal action against the digital operators, to begin with. We would not like to point fingers at anyone else for the lapse at this time. It is the digital operators’ responsibility to play exactly the length that is shown to us and certified by the  CBFC. Not a second more or less of footage must be shown in theatres than what we have certified. The exact length  of  the film that is shown to us and certified by us is mentioned in the censor certificate. If the anti-smoking films have been removed from the beginning and after intermission ,and if the censor certificate is not being shown inRangoon then the digital operators are screening less footage than what has been approved by the CBFC. It is  a serious offence.We are investigating to see how deep the offence  it goes.”

Nihalani adds, “Maybe some self-appointed  intellectuals of our  film industry feel it is okay to break the law as long as they can ridicule the jurisdiction  of the CBFC.”

Incidentally Rangoon director Vishal Bhardwaj had spoken up vehemently against the anti-smoking disclaimers. In 2012 while releasing his film Matroo Ki Bijli Ka Mandola he had removed the usual mandatory anti-smoking films that are shown twice with all feature films and had replaced it with a humorous song composed specially for  the film.