Pahlaj Nihalani’s exit

UNKA toh tyohaar mere jaane se ho gaya. For once Pahlaj Nihalani, the sacked CBFC chief, has hit the nail on the head. It's not just his detractors, who have persistently voiced their opposition to his obtuse and illogical ways, all cine buffs have reasons to rejoice. Rumours of his ouster have been doing the rounds for a while. His run-ins with filmmakers ever since he took over in 2015 were long and unedifying. In the eye of controversy all through his tenure, his objections to films have ranged from plain foolish to inexplicable cussedness. The scissor-happy chief who cut films left, right and centre, mostly without provocation, even refused to certify some films. Not surprising many like actor Joy Sengupta feel he clearly represented an agenda and an ideology. 

Though the new chairperson, well-known lyricist poet and ad guru Prasoon Joshi too is a BJP loyalist, he nonetheless carries with him an air of professional gravitas. Joshi has been associated with the celluloid world, both as a lyricist and a writer. A man of his sensibility and sensitivity needs no lessons on how if cinema has to be the art of impossible, it has to be viewed in entirety and not picked up in isolation. Inclusion of gutsy Vidya Balan in the board panel too bodes well. The government which dug in its heels for too long has finally yielded to plain common sense. 

Mere appointment of Joshi, however, is not sufficient. Now is also the time to implement the long-pending Benegal committee's recommendations. The CBFC as its nomenclature Central Board of Film Certification suggests should be only a certifying body and should not play chaperone to an audience which is both mature and intelligent to decide for itself. Nihalani might feel that he would be remembered for his firm stand against vulgarity and pseudo-liberalism, the world is going to judge him differently and in unflattering terms. Joshi must learn from the follies of his predecessor, hopefully shed his sanskari legacy and owe his first loyalty to art and creativity. Creative liberty can't be the handmaiden of those manning the CBFC.