CBFC cuts words like ‘pradhan mantri’ & ‘chaiwala’ from Murderbaad
In a bizarre move, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has instructed the makers of the upcoming Bollywood film, Murderbaad, to edit out words such as ‘pradhan mantri’ and ‘chaiwala’ from a dialogue in the movie. The film’s director, Arnab Chatterjee, has expressed his disappointment over the decision, terming the cut as an “absolutely benign joke” that was meant to be aspirational for the lower-middle class of the country.
Murderbaad, a thriller directed by Chatterjee, has received an ‘A’ certification from the CBFC. The film’s plot revolves around a group of friends who plan a murder, but things take a turn when their plan goes awry. The movie features a dialogue where two characters, played by actors Saheb Chatterjee and Sourav Chatterjee, discuss their aspirations and goals. In the scene, one of the characters says, “I want to become the pradhan mantri one day” and the other responds, “I want to become a chaiwala.”
However, the CBFC deemed these words as too sensitive and asked the makers to edit them out before granting the film a certificate. Chatterjee has expressed his disappointment over the decision, stating that the dialogue was meant to be a humorous take on the aspirations of the lower-middle class. “It was an absolutely benign joke, rather aspirational for the lower-middle class of our country, and far away from any political stance,” Chatterjee said in an interview.
The CBFC’s decision has raised questions about the board’s sensitivity and understanding of Indian culture and society. In recent years, the CBFC has been criticized for its strict guidelines and censorship of films, often taking a heavy-handed approach to editing out content that it deems as sensitive or objectionable. The board’s decision to cut out words like ‘pradhan mantri’ and ‘chaiwala’ from Murderbaad has sparked debate about the extent to which the CBFC should interfere with artistic expression.
The use of the words ‘pradhan mantri’ and ‘chaiwala’ in the dialogue was meant to be a commentary on the aspirations of the lower-middle class in India. The characters in the scene are not politicians or chaiwallas, but ordinary people who are aspiring for bigger things in life. The dialogue was meant to be a humorous take on the struggles and aspirations of the common man, and not a political statement.
Chatterjee’s film is not the first to face censorship from the CBFC. In recent years, several films have been edited to conform to the board’s guidelines, often resulting in the removal of content that is deemed as sensitive or objectionable. The CBFC’s decision to cut out words like ‘pradhan mantri’ and ‘chaiwala’ from Murderbaad is just the latest example of the board’s heavy-handed approach to censorship.
In conclusion, the CBFC’s decision to cut out words like ‘pradhan mantri’ and ‘chaiwala’ from Murderbaad is a case of over-censorship and interference with artistic expression. The board’s guidelines should be more nuanced and sensitive to the cultural and social context of the film. The use of these words in the dialogue was meant to be a commentary on the aspirations of the lower-middle class in India, and not a political statement. The CBFC’s decision has sparked debate about the extent to which the board should interfere with artistic expression, and whether its guidelines are more restrictive than necessary.
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