Lipstick Under My Burkha: It's fashionable to support any film that talks about women's empowerment, says Pahlaj Nihalani

People have blasted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after they didn't certify director Alankrita Shrivastava's Lipstick Under My Burkha. Now, the chairperson of the censor board Pahlaj Nihalani has lashed out at the Bollywood celebs and news channels expressing his anger about the hate being spewed against him.

Also read: 6 decisions that show Pahlaj Nihalani is unfit for CBFC job

Nihalani defended the decision saying that the content of the movie was objectionable as there were constant sexual innuendos. Also, the chairperson slammed Farhan Akhtar and Kabir Khan for blaming the CBFC and jumping to conclusions without watching the movie.

"I've gone out of my way to get Farhan Akhtar's Rock On 2 and Kabir Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan out of censorial blockades. On what grounds are Farhan and Kabir tweeting and talking against me? They are fighting a cause they've no idea of. Please do not attack the CBFC and me just because it is considered trendy to do so," DNA quoted Nihalani as saying.

Take a look at the statements made by the CBFC chief regarding the matter:

First of all, we didn't ban the film Lipstick Under My Burkha. The Examining Committee saw the film and refused to certify it. Now, the Revising Committee has also refused to certify the film. The film's producer, Prakash Jha, says he will go to the Tribunal of the censor board. He knows the procedure. He has been through it with many of his films, including his last Jai Gangaajal. So what's the fuss about."

Why are they pinning the blame for the Examining Committee and Revising Committee's refusal on me? There are two bodies of well-informed jury members in the two committees. They've all found the content of Lipstick Under My Burkha to be extremely objectionable. There are constant sexual innuendos and suggestions of the sex act. The language is lurid and graphic."

Have Sudhir Mishra, Farhan Akhtar and Kabir Khan seen Lipstick Under My Burkha? How can they jump into the controversy just because it is fashionable to support any film that talks about women's empowerment? How genuine is this film's feminism? They attack me calling me a maker of 'B' grade films and listing vulgar songs that I've used in my films. But those songs are not even in my film. As for making 'B' grade films why only 'B' grade? I may have made 'C' grade and 'Z' grade films too. That doesn't give me the right to certify objectionable content in my capacity as the chairperson of the CBFC. I may have made films that I might have cut if they came to me during my tenure as CBFC chief."

One news channel thinks shouting, encouraging noise pollution and lashing out at me will raise their TRPs. God bless them. But they need to do their homework. They were shouting about how the CBFC has objections to the word 'Burkha' in the title Lipstick Under My Burkha. This is completely wrong. We never expressed any reservations about the title. We've no objections to women wearing lipstick under a burkha. But the film shows these women doing unmentionable things. If some sections think this is a progressive behaviour, gender equality and women's empowerment then I pity the generations to come."