CBFC clears note-ban film with six cuts

Kolkata: Three days after the regional branch of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sent a film based on demonetisation to chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani for clearance, director Suvendu Ghosh was called over to the board’s Kolkata office on Friday and told that his film, ‘Shunyota’, had been cleared for UA certification with six cuts.
Ghosh was asked to mute or delete dialogues and sequences critical of the note ban.
“The chairperson of CBFC has decided the matter. The movie was cleared as per the recommendations of the exam-ining committee. The majority decision of the committee was upheld by the chairperson,” said Ajoy Mahmia, the regional officer of CBFC Kolkata.
The director has been asked to delete a 10-second sequence in which one of the characters says he can’t accept the procession of death (mrityur michchil) following demonetisation. The director has also been asked to delete a shot where a money-lender laments how the government has created a lot of difficulty for the poor.
The CBFC has also sought muting of the words ‘gatar’ (body) and ‘subi’ (sleep) and three other statements critical of the Centre’s demonetisation drive. “These cuts only prove that the government wants to silence any voice protesting demonetisation,” said Ghosh.
Ghosh had approached the CBFC for certification of the film on March 16. The plot of ‘Shunyota’ revolves around a writer releasing a book of three stories. The first story is based on the life of a daily wage-earner in a colliery; the second is about a couple who come to a hospital for their child’s treatment, and the third is about a Kakdwip-based trawler repairer. The writer traces the catastrophic effect of the note ban on these three families. At the end of the film when the author is asked if he supports demonetisation, he replies in the negative. Among the lines that CBFC wants muted is one in which the writer claims that even though his stories are fictional, they are very close to reality.
Ghosh has been given 15 days to communicate his decision on the cuts to the Board. The director told TOI he is ready to accept the recommendations. “Otherwise, my film will remain stuck forever. But I now plan to voice my protest by making a documentary where I will focus on what I went through to certify this film,” he said, adding that he will call the documentary ‘Vote’.