<div>An online petition demanding removal of Pahlaj Nihalani from the post of chairman of the Censor Board is gaining support.<br /><br />By now, over 40,000 people have signed it. Apart from citing the Udta Punjab controversy, the petition has referred to other controversies the Censor Board (Central Board of Film Certification) has witnessed during Nihalani’s tenure.<br /><br />The petition has been addressed to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley.<br />“Pahlaj Nihalani and team do not want Udta Punjab to refer to Punjab in its story of how the state struggles with a massive drug problem,” says the petition.<br /><br />“Nihalani has been treating the censor board like his personal fiefdom. He has taken arbitrary decisions, sometimes without even watching movies. He has embarrassed the movie industry, the Central government and the Indian people. It is time to fire him,” it adds.<br /><br />“Numerous instances of adult humour (however distasteful), were removed from A-rated movies like Mastizaade and Kya Kool Hai Hum 3. However, humour targeting alternately-abled people in movies like Housefull 3 has been allowed,” complains the petition.<br /><br />The petition also cites cuts in the film Aligarh which, according to the petition, was rated ‘A’ just for dealing with homosexuality, despite having no A-rated content or scenes. <br /><br />The petition says that Pahlaj Nihalani, in his movie-making days, directed movies with songs like Khada hai and Akeli Ghar Hun, not to mention extensive kissing scenes and other ‘inappropriate’ content.<br /><br />The petition has expressed apprehension that ground-breaking or socially relevant films will reach us diluted beyond meaning or they would not reach us at all because of his biased prejudices and moral standpoint.<br /></div>
<div>An online petition demanding removal of Pahlaj Nihalani from the post of chairman of the Censor Board is gaining support.<br /><br />By now, over 40,000 people have signed it. Apart from citing the Udta Punjab controversy, the petition has referred to other controversies the Censor Board (Central Board of Film Certification) has witnessed during Nihalani’s tenure.<br /><br />The petition has been addressed to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley.<br />“Pahlaj Nihalani and team do not want Udta Punjab to refer to Punjab in its story of how the state struggles with a massive drug problem,” says the petition.<br /><br />“Nihalani has been treating the censor board like his personal fiefdom. He has taken arbitrary decisions, sometimes without even watching movies. He has embarrassed the movie industry, the Central government and the Indian people. It is time to fire him,” it adds.<br /><br />“Numerous instances of adult humour (however distasteful), were removed from A-rated movies like Mastizaade and Kya Kool Hai Hum 3. However, humour targeting alternately-abled people in movies like Housefull 3 has been allowed,” complains the petition.<br /><br />The petition also cites cuts in the film Aligarh which, according to the petition, was rated ‘A’ just for dealing with homosexuality, despite having no A-rated content or scenes. <br /><br />The petition says that Pahlaj Nihalani, in his movie-making days, directed movies with songs like Khada hai and Akeli Ghar Hun, not to mention extensive kissing scenes and other ‘inappropriate’ content.<br /><br />The petition has expressed apprehension that ground-breaking or socially relevant films will reach us diluted beyond meaning or they would not reach us at all because of his biased prejudices and moral standpoint.<br /></div>
