Content on digital platforms not certified by censor board: CBFC on 'Sarke Chunar' controversy

Mumbai: Content on digital platforms is not certified by the censor board, the CBFC said on Wednesday, adding that they did not receive any application to certify the song Sarke Chunar from upcoming Kannada movie KD: The Devil.

The song, which released on YouTube earlier this week, has kicked up a major controversy with its sexually explicit lyrics. It has since been pulled down from the video sharing platform.

"This is to clearly state that CBFC has not received any application seeking certification for the song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke from KD: The Devil Film. It is to be noted clearly that content on digital platforms is not certified by CBFC. There is often confusion about this and CBFC is unnecessarily dragged into matters that are not connected," CBFC said in a statement to PTI.

The board, headed by lyricist-writer Prasoon Joshi, said they are "a responsible and responsive" body with committed members who take portrayal of women in cinema sensitively and through sincere effort shifted the needle from controversy to constructive dialogue.

"In the case of this particular song all queries should be directed to the platform and the makers of the song," the statement further stated.

The song, which features Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, was released on YouTube two days ago and quickly went viral for its shock value and lyrics that almost describe a sexual act.

The original Kannada version is penned by the movie's director Prem, while its Hindi version is credited to Raqeeb Alam, who has distanced himself from the track in the wake of the controversy.

Earlier in the day, Fatehi also issued a clarification, saying she shot the song in Kannada, a language she doesn't understand, and was shocked to learn about the lyrics of the Hindi version like everyone else.