Pahlaj Nihalani’s Rangeela Raja cannot escape censor trouble after the CBFC demanded nearly 20 cuts. Nihalani had earlier filed a hilariously-worded petition in which he was convinced that there was a company called ‘Netflex’ that’s running a website called ‘Secret Game’, which had content ‘in nature of blue films’. He was merely reacting to why the crassness in Rangeela Raja was being censored. In response to Nihalani’s petition, the CBFC has responded with the exact reasons why Nihalani’s film is facing the roadblocks.
The CBFC filed an affidavit with the Bombay HC stating how the film glorifies violence and blatantly objectifies women, through the actions of its hero. Apart from the film glorifying molestation of women, there are several scenes where the male characters are shown discussing women using obscene terms, according to this report in HT.
Among the recommended cuts is a line where the hero calls a woman kadak ghevar and in a separate scene where the hero refers to rape as swadishth khaana (delicious food). The board also found the film championing its hero’s misogyny without any redeemable qualities, too problematic. And even though the climax of the film the hero is shown to be punished for his ways, he’s quickly shown going back to his lying ways and harassing women.
“In its entirety, a wrong example is portrayed to children through the film,” says the affidavit submitted on behalf of CBFC by Advocate Advait Sethna. The bench has expedited Nihalani’s appeal against the cuts and directed the CBFC to co-operate with the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).
The irony of the whole situation isn’t entirely lost on the former CBFC chief, who harassed films like Udta Punjab, Lipstick Under My Burkha and even something as banal as a word from the trailer of Imtiaz Ali’s Jab Harry Met Sejal. Nihalani spewed venom against the current chief (Prasoon Joshi) and the ruling party, alleging that this was some kind of ‘revenge plot’ against him.
Anyone who has seen the reprehensible trailer of Rangeela Raja, will attest to the CBFC’s objections about the hero’s crassness, minus any context. It’s just crass because the film considers it ‘fun’ and we’re probably still stuck in the late 80s.
