Malayalam film directors, technicians protest outside Censor Board office

Malayalam film directors and technicians on Monday staged a dharna outside the office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) here, protesting against the denial of certification for the film ‘Kathakali’, alleging portrayal of nudity and vulgarity.

The protest was made under the aegis of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), which had already moved the High Court against the Board’s demand for three cuts, including the climax scene, on the movie, directed by upcoming filmmaker Saijo Kannanaikkal.

The members of FEFKA, led by its general secretary B Unnikrishnan, took part in the protest held in front of the CBFC office, functioning at Chitranjali Studio here. Kannanaikkal, 27, had claimed that the CBFC Officer here was insisting on the removal of the portions, which, according to him, were the ‘soul’ of the movie. He alleged that the Board’s move was an infringement on the creative freedom of a filmmaker. He also claimed that a panel of CBFC, which watched the film, had suggested giving the movie a ‘U’ certificate, but the officer was reluctant to any certification without removing the 'objectionable' scenes. The two-hour-long film revolves around the life of an orphan man, who tries to create a space and identity of his own in the society around. The CBFC recently courted controversy by recommending several cuts in the Bollywood movie ‘Udta Punjab’.