Pahlaj Nihalani: It's an attempt to change the image of the CBFC

While the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) might have gotten a reputation for making too many cuts, especially in Hollywood movies, its treatment to some of the Oscar-nominated movies came as a pleasant surprise. The board allowed nudity in 'The Danish Girl' and violence in Leonardo DiCaprio's 'The Revenant' with minimal cuts. Moviegoers have welcomed the move, but it has also led many to wonder if the board is being lenient towards just Oscar-nominated films ' given the number of cuts and changes that were made to the recently-released 'Deadpool'.We take a look at the Oscar nominees that made news for the content that the CBFC, perhaps atypically, allowed.
CBFC has mellowed its stance on Hollywood films
The Danish Girl
'The Danish Girl', a film about one of the first known people to undergo sex reassignment surgery, starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, was nominated for four Oscars and was given an 'A' certificate. The movie got away without any cuts or blurs, with only a 'no smoking' disclaimer. The CBFC allowed the movie to run with scenes showing nudity and kissing. Talking about this, Pahlaj Nihalani reportedly said, 'It's an attempt to change the image of the CBFC. We didn't feel that the nudity in 'The Danish Girl' went overboard, and it fit in well with the story.'
The Revenant
'The Revenant', which helped Leonardo DiCaprio finally bag that 'Best Actor' award at the Oscars, has also been passed with just an 'A' certificate and is being screened without any cuts. The film's spokesperson was quoted as saying, 'We are relieved that the CBFC has cleared the film without any cuts, considering the film has a lot of violence and cuss words. Usually their stance on such films has been very rigid. CBFC was particularly impressed with 'The Revenant', as the film has won quite a few awards. They also mentioned that if it were any other film, they wouldn't have been so easy (on it).' Only words such as b***h and t**s were muted.
Spotlight
This year's Best Picture winner at the Oscars, 'Spotlight', is the true story of a team of journalists who investigate allegations against a Catholic priest accused of molesting more than 80 boys. This film was also passed by the CBFC without any cuts and with an 'A' certificate. In fact, Sony Pictures did not announce a release date till the film was given a clearance, considering the subject. In fact, the CBFC apparently toyed with the idea of certifying the film for all ages. Nihalani reportedly said, 'We believe children need to know about the dangers they may face, especially sexual predators. However, the content of 'Spotlight' would be too disturbing for young minds. So we have passed the film with an 'A' certificate and no cuts.'
Not all films have been as lucky though. While most of the Oscar-nominated films had it easy, Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' didn't. At a special screening of the movie in Mumbai in January, Anurag Kashyap had said, 'I'm very happy that this film is coming out and I hope it comes out uncut. I hope it comes out the way it is ' the way the filmmaker had intended.' However, the film had to face a number of cuts and muted scenes. The Oscar-nominated Bond film 'Spectre', which was released last year, got considerable flak from the CBFC after it cut all scenes involving kisses by 50 percent. The superhero flick 'Deadpool' is another such example. All scenes involving blood, violence and references to male/female reproductive parts were censored, while 'Dirty Grandpa', starring Robert De Niro, has been rejected by the CBFC and the 'Tribunal' for its bold content.
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