Mumbai: Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar was encountered with questions related to the controversy surrounding Sharukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer Pathan movie, where he suggested the matter of fringe elements demanding the cuts in the film should not be taken seriously, rather the government-approved body be trusted in and let it to decide what to do with it.
Akhtar, who met the Press on the launch of Jadunama, a book based on his life, said he was not the person to comment on things for which there is a government-approved mechanism like the Central Board of Certification (CBFC) to make suggestions pertaining to movies.
When being asked about a warning by the Bajrang Dal that it would not allow the movie Pathan to release in Gujarat until the changes it has demanded are made, he said there are no fringe elements as such but these demands are being made by elected Ministers, referring to Madhya Pradesh home minister.
“If the Home Minister thinks then there should be a separate censor board for Madhya Pradesh, they watch the film separately. And if they are unhappy with Centre’s film certification we should not come in between them, it is between them and the Centre,” Akhtar added.
Ever since the song “Be Sharam rang…” from the movie Pathan was out, there is an outcry from certain quarters seeking the removal of the song over the saffron-coloured two-piece outfit worn by Deepika. Apart from a call for boycotting the film, which the Right Wing groups termed a deliberate onslaught on the Hindutva that considers the saffron holy.
There have also been reports suggesting that the CBFC has asked Yash Raj Films, the film’s production banner, to pull out all mentions of the Indian foreign intelligence agency R&AW and the Prime Minister’s Office. Several films in the past have also run into trouble with the CBFC and have been given a list of suggested cuts.