The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) witnessed fresh rumblings with board member Chandraprakash Dwivedi expressing disappointment over cuts made in Anushka Sharma's film "NH10" despite a collective decision to put on hold a circular banning cuss words.
The board has been embroiled in controversies recently with objections being raised over the circular banning a list of cuss words, which was later put on hold.
Expressing anguish that collective decisions were being ignored, Dwivedi, a prominent filmmaker, sought an urgent meeting of the board in his letter to CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihlani to address "uncomfortable issues".
Dwivedi said that he was in receipt of the list of "cuss words" asked to be deleted by board to the producers of "NH 10". The list was forwarded to him by a friend through SMS, Dwivedi said in the letter.
"I am not pained for the deletion of the cuss words or decision of the CBFC but the violation of the trust of the board," he wrote.
Recalling an earlier meeting of the board, Dwivedi said, it was resolved that the circular issued by chairman or the office of the CBFC, banning certain words, will not be implemented till there is a detailed discussion.
"However the said circular in discussion was implemented and cuts were given regarding cuss words. I am also informed that your goodself was the presiding officer for the revision committee," Dwivedi wrote in his letter to Nihalani.
He wrote that while "not going into the merit of classification, certification or questioning the decision of the board here," he felt that the way the cuts were sought in the movie were "against the collective decision of the board of CBFC."
Dwivedi added that he had attended three revision meetings and every time returned home with a "saddened heart" as every time he came to know that the collective mandate (or wisdom) of the board was not communicated to advisory panel.
"I have started feeling uncomfortable of being a part of an esteemed institution where, collective decision of the board is ignored or collective voice is unheard," he said in his letter while seeking an urgent meeting of the board to address uncomfortable issues.
When contacted, Dwivedi told PTI, that he had written the letter requesting a meeting of the board to be convened. He sought to clarify that he had only been smsed about the cuts that have been suggested to be made in NH 10 by a friend.
"I wrote the letter to solve the differences within the board through discussion. I don't know how it was leaked to the media. I will be more careful as I believe someone from the 15 board members, who were forwarded the letter, leaked it.
"It is a constitutional body and we respect that but the issues within it should be ironed out internally.
CBFC chairman Nihalani had earlier circulated a list of objectionable words that were not to be allowed in films but later the board had said that it was of "unanimous view" that the matter required further consultation with different sections of the society before being implemented.
It was also said by the board that a separate meeting would be convened to deliberate on the issue of the list of abusive words.
