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Another Anurag Kashyap film axed by the censor board

This time, it's a Nawazuddin Siddique starrer

Updated 20 Jun, 2016

It's been a tough couple of months for Bollywood director/producer Anurag Kashyap.

The heat around Udta Punjab had barely come to a simmer when his upcoming film Haraamkhor started facing some flames, reports Times of India.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) refused a certificate to the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Haraamkhor, objecting to its theme - that is, the romance between a student and a teacher.

According to the CBFC letter that was issued against the film, the certificate was refused because a teacher is a "respectable figure in our society" and showing a relationship of a teacher with a student is wrong.

"There are many filthy dialogues spoken by kids and body gestures of the kids were also found to be objectionable. Kids committing crime etc does not merit any certificate to the film. Hence, 'refused' because of its theme itself," the CBFC letter said.

Haraamkhor has already been premiered at the 15th annual New York Indian Film Festival and Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) and Nawazuddin Siddiqui has received the best actor award for the film at the New York Indian Film Festival while the film won a Silver Gateway Award in the India Gold section of the 17th Jio MAMI Film Festival held in Mumbai.

Comments

Adil Jun 20, 2016 03:24pm

As a teacher I believe the Indian Censor Board's decision is justified... we cannot expect the educational system to deliver decent human beings in a society without taboos...

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Iqbal bhai Jun 20, 2016 04:56pm

I support the censorship.

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alighous Jun 20, 2016 05:09pm

wonder how much freedom pakistan has

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vasudevan Jun 20, 2016 05:27pm

There are umpteen number of topics to make films on. You take a stick, disturb the open gutter to create a stench. When the stick is removed from your hands, you start shouting 'Foul!' A creative filmmaker like Kashyap can do better things

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سے Shaam Jun 20, 2016 05:57pm

Censor board is correct, we are not a western civilization where such things are common. Teacher is the most noblest of professions. These film makers purposely touch upon sensitive issues to get popularity and money. Unfortunately in our society a praying person does not get any media attention but an abusive person will catch everyone's attention.

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BeingHuman@usa.com Jun 20, 2016 06:40pm

While we know that several noble professions from past (like doctors, teachers, etc.) are not being noble anymore due to corrupt practices & loss of morale values; I do not understand what Anurag expects to accomplish by making it a central theme of a movie. Unfortunately media industry (news, movies etc.) seems too powerful in Indian subcontinent as people are yet to develop proper understanding of it Till that time, in my view, such movies should be censored.

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Bilal Jun 20, 2016 06:46pm

Indian censor board should also appoint its one representative from Pakistan, as Indians movies are effecting our kids/ society as well, for we share a same culture and language mostly.

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Sadaf Jun 20, 2016 08:04pm

@سے Shaam Those who pray don't need attention because they do it for themselves and their Lord. What the abusers do, they do it to innocent victims. They NEED our help. There are countless cases where an older teacher takes advantage of a young student. This is happening. If you choose to look the other way then don't be surprised when someone you love ends up being a victim

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Saulat Haider Jun 20, 2016 08:18pm

it is best for society to censor this movie.

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ABC Jun 20, 2016 08:25pm

I don't understand why Anurag can't make a movie with a solid story but without profanity. having profanity( too much of it) in movie is not a must to make it look real. Sometimes movies without profanity can be decent if acting and story is good.

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Khan USA Jun 20, 2016 09:42pm

@alighous What Pakistan got to do with this ?

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Khan USA Jun 20, 2016 09:44pm

@Bilal No need for this as people already working in different Censor Boards in Pakistan are already working for Indian profucers and Directors !

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AXH Jun 20, 2016 10:08pm

I believe that is okay to make a movie on this subject as there have been quite a few movies made on subjects like illicit relationships, homosexuality, etc., in the past, which are also taboo subjects in the sub-continent. However, unnecessary profanity should be avoided.

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Manjit singh bajwa Jun 20, 2016 10:15pm

@alighous i hope you are knew the recent bans that pakistan censor board imposed recently.

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Manjit singh bajwa Jun 20, 2016 10:16pm

@Bilal i think pakistani producer and directors should start making bollywood films.

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Ram Narayanan Jun 20, 2016 10:34pm

If you don't want to watch, don't watch. Let me watch ,

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FutureWizard Jun 20, 2016 11:07pm

Why fear raising an issue? Why hide your neck like ostrich? India really need rating like USA, when let grownup make a decision what do they want to watch and what they can ignore. Don't be moral police censor board.

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Zareen Khan Rind Jun 21, 2016 03:13am

Well, in our society the teacher's honor is lost by himself long ago by his corrupt characters. I am a teacher and belong to a university and I know very well the mentality of some of the teachers. I think it is good to expose those black sheep in the sacred institutions, such as education where historically, a teacher thought to be like father and guidance of civilized nation. I favor that this film should be released.

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Saira khan durrani Jun 21, 2016 03:18am

Censor is correct this time!

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Ash Jun 21, 2016 05:36am

I do not support the Indian Censors Board. The director is not advocating relationships between teachers and students. It's narrating a love story between a student and a teacher. If that is so wrong then viewers should vote with their pocketbooks. Who is the censor Board to think for all of us?

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Jaago Jun 21, 2016 08:24am

This is silly. It's just a movie. Nobody is putting a gun to anybody's head to make them watch it. Censor Board is trying to be the moral police when their job is to provide ratings on movies, not determine what we should produce or watch.

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A Jun 23, 2016 01:44am

@Bilal Better thing would be to ask the Pakistan Govt. to re-impose ban on both legal and illegal import of Bollywood movies or any movie from India or Indian citing the very reasons you mentioned.

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A Jun 23, 2016 01:46am

@Khan USA Alternatively, Bollywood itself should send highly censored version to Pakistan.

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A Jun 23, 2016 01:48am

@FutureWizard This is revengeful stance of BJP-controlled Censor Board against Anurag Kashyap Movies.

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Santosh Jun 23, 2016 12:01pm

Why can not a teacher romance with his/her student & vice versa? CBFC is helping the producers by advertising their movies free of cost. All the movies, where CBFC put objection became hit.

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butserioslyok Jun 23, 2016 06:52pm

CBFC is supposed to rate the movie and people should decide on their own on what they want to watch. Why would any adult want somebody else to decide for them...please grow up. Often the real news is worse than what is shown in the movies. Do we ban the news too?

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