logo
Anurag Kashyap took Hindi dictionary to CBFC screening when they objected on the word ‘chu***a': ‘What is the definition of an adult?'

Anurag Kashyap took Hindi dictionary to CBFC screening when they objected on the word ‘chu***a': ‘What is the definition of an adult?'

Indian Express16-07-2025
Anurag Kashyap's run-in with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is as old as his film career itself. In fact, his very first feature film, Paanch (2003), faced the wrath of the board, which raised objections to depictions of violence, drug abuse and the use of bad language. Although the film eventually received the green signal, Paanch never got a theatrical release (due to reported financial issues). Even in the cases of his subsequent movies, such as Black Friday (2004) and Bombay Velvet (2015), Anurag locked horns with the CBFC.
Recently, he indirectly addressed the Janaki v/s State of Kerala controversy, in which the board demanded changes to the title and the name of the titular character, Janaki, as they also refer to Goddess Sita. 'If, in your writing, your characters can't be named after any of the characters that have been part of mythology… It's very strange. You have to look for it. They can't be named after living characters, too. What is left there? You should call your characters XYZ? 1234? ABC? You can't have surnames, nor characters with greyness or negative shades and blackness in them. They will have to be white. Lots of films are not coming out when they address these issues,' he pointed out during a chat with The Juggernaut.
'This handholding does not let you grow. This handholding happens only when you don't want your audience to grow. What is the definition of an adult? An adult is a person who can think for themselves. Yet, you don't want people to think for themselves and make the choice of whether something's good or bad for them. You are making the choice. The [OTT] platforms are making the choice. Everybody's making the choice except the individual concerned,' he said, adding that this wouldn't stop people from watching what they wish to, and that the only outcome would be more people turning to piracy.
He also pointed out that movies offering moral science lessons and messages urging people to do good don't bring about any actual changes. Anurag stated that cinema — and art in general — should hold a mirror up to society, allowing people to see their own ugliness. 'So that they can look at their own horrific ugliness, prejudices, biases, narrow-mindedness, et al. But you can't hold a mirror like that anymore because people don't want to look at it. Cinema and culture have to purify all things. There are viral clips showing big politicians abusing. But they are in denial about these don't exist anymore,' the renowned filmmaker added.
Alleging that most people making such decisions don't know Hindi, Anurag added that even those who get offended don't understand the language. Pointing out that the word 'chu***a' basically means a stupid person and nothing more, he stated that since the CBFC is based in Maharashtra and people there don't know Hindi, they have attributed unnecessary meanings to the word. 'So, for my first film, I literally had to carry a Hindi shabdkosh (dictionary) with me. Now, they don't even allow you to take your phone inside,' he added.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vijay Deverakonda's Mother Gets Teary At Kingdom Event In Hyderabad, Video Goes Viral
Vijay Deverakonda's Mother Gets Teary At Kingdom Event In Hyderabad, Video Goes Viral

News18

time30 minutes ago

  • News18

Vijay Deverakonda's Mother Gets Teary At Kingdom Event In Hyderabad, Video Goes Viral

Vijay Deverakonda's rumoured girlfriend and actress Rashmika Mandanna was mighty impressed with the trailer of his upcoming film 'Kingdom'. Vijay Deverakonda has been grabbing attention for his upcoming action drama, Kingdom. Recently, during a pre-release event in Hyderabad, Vijay was accompanied by his mother Madhavi, who was seen getting emotional after Anirudh Ravichander praised him. A video capturing her heartfelt reaction has gone viral on social media. In the video shared by Artistry Buzz, Deverakonda's mother, Madhavi, was seen getting emotional after Anirudh Ravichander praised Vijay's performance in Kingdom. Anirudh said, 'I have watched the film—it's a milestone in Vijay's career as well as in my career." Fans have also commented and dropped heart emojis. Vijay Deverakonda's rumoured girlfriend and actress Rashmika Mandanna was mighty impressed with the trailer of his upcoming film 'Kingdom'. 'Wohhhooo!! What a trailer this is! Madness! Ahh! Got to wait 4 more days after watching this cool of a fair! @thedeverakonda I always keep telling you- you are something else! One day I wish I learn my craft so well that one day I can do the 50% of acting that you do! You are just …. Something else!" she wrote, while praising Vijay Deverakonda. Directed by National Award-winner Gowtam Tinnanuri, the film is positioned as a high-octane gangster saga that centers on power and the bond between two brothers. The trailer, released earlier this week, received a thunderous reception on social media. The Hindi version features a voice-over by Ranbir Kapoor, while Jr NTR and Suriya have lent their voices to the Telugu and Tamil trailers, respectively. In the film, Vijay Deverakonda plays Surya, a secret agent thrown deep into a covert mission that completely alters the course of his life. As the trailer unfolds, Surya finds himself in hostile territory, forced to let go of everything familiar. But what begins as a straightforward spy assignment quickly spirals into something much darker. The mission turns sideways, landing him in prison, where he eventually bonds with those he was meant to destroy. The buzz isn't limited to India. Overseas pre-sales have also seen sharp movement, prompting the producers to schedule massive premiere shows on July 30, a day before its worldwide release. Produced by Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, and featuring music by Anirudh Ravichander, Saamrajya is set to release on July 31, 2025, in Hindi as Saamrajya, and in Telugu and Tamil as Kingdom. The cast also includes Bhagyashri Borse and Manish Chowdhary. The Hindi version is presented by Aditya Bhatia (Adwise Movies) and Atul Rajani and will be distributed across North India by AA Films. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par To Release On YouTube Channel. Here's How Much The Ticket Costs
Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par To Release On YouTube Channel. Here's How Much The Ticket Costs

NDTV

time2 hours ago

  • NDTV

Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par To Release On YouTube Channel. Here's How Much The Ticket Costs

Aamir Khan, who is trying different measures to revive the Hindi film business, has announced on Tuesday that all his upcoming films will be releasing on his YouTube Channel, titled Aamir Khan Talkies, after their theatrical releases. At a special meet and greet with media in Mumbai, Aamir Khan said all his films and films by his father Tahir Hussain will be available on this platform. Aamir Khan's last theatrical release, Sitaare Zameen Par, will release on the YouTube channel on August 1. Based on a pay-per-watch model, one has to pay Rs 100 to watch Sitaare Zameen Par on the platform called Aamir Khan Talkies. What's Happening Apart from Aamir Khan's films, his iconic television show Satyamev Jayate will also be released on this platform. Satyameva Jayate would be free to viewers. Aamir Khan also said that he wants to provide a platform to the budding directors. So, young directors, who struggle to show their films in theatres, will also get a chance to release their films on the platform. The ticket, priced at Rs 100, will be vaild for 48 hours. If you can't watch within the time frame, you have to pay more. Aamir Khan also said that this initiative is aimed at stoping piracy. He said, "No one wants to engage in piracy business in the first place. But what's happening in the last few years that we can't make our films reach the audience in the remote corners of the world. The films come to television almost a year after its theatrical release. You have to watch adverts during the show. For a clean watch, this pay-per-model has been introduced." Aamir Khan also apologised to the media for hiding his plan of releasing movies on YouTube earlier. He said had he told this before, it would have hurt the film business. Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par is one of the highest-grossing films of the year 2025. It minted approx Rs 262.75 crore worldwide as per a Mint report. Sitaare Zameen Par Apart from Aamir Khan, Sitaare Zameen Par also features Genelia D'Souza in a key role. The film has 10 debutant neurodivergent actors, including Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishnan Varma, Vedant Sharma, Naman Misra, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Ashish Pendse, Samvit Desai, Simran Mangeshkar, and Aayush Bhansali. The film is touted as the spiritual sequel to the 2007 film Taare Zameen Par.

Karan Johar regrets remaking Mani Ratnam's film with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor: 'I've gone wrong'
Karan Johar regrets remaking Mani Ratnam's film with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor: 'I've gone wrong'

Pink Villa

time2 hours ago

  • Pink Villa

Karan Johar regrets remaking Mani Ratnam's film with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor: 'I've gone wrong'

Karan Johar is one of the leading filmmakers of today's time. He recently opened up about how his first instincts are the biggest decision-makers when it comes to giving chances to new talents or movie projects. Whenever he listened to his instincts, he succeeded, and when he ignored them, the filmmaker failed. Karan Johar reveals his first instinct was not to remake Mani Ratnam's O Kadhal Kanmani In a recent podcast with Jay Shetty, Karan Johar revealed his initial instinct not to remake Mani Ratnam's much-loved movie O Kadhal Kanmani in Hindi. He said, 'I remember there was a film. It was an adaptation of the Mani Ratnam film. It is called OK Jaanu. Aditya (Aditya Roy Kapur) and Shraddha (Shraddha Kapoor) just had a blockbuster called Aashiqui 2. They had already agreed to do the film. And that film came to me as a project ready with a great remake. Shaad (Shaad Ali) was a wonderful director, and yet in my heart, I had actually felt that, Should this film be remade? Because it's so much at the moment. Can that moment be recaptured?' The Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani director went on to add, 'Somewhere, the magic of the original we couldn't recapture. And it was nobody's fault. But my instinct told me I shouldn't do it. And I did it. And that's when I realised that I should listen to my instinct. I have gone wrong.' Karan Johar owns up to his failures While emphasizing the importance of listening to one's instincts, Karan Johar acknowledged his failures alongside his successes throughout his long career. He further said, 'Every failure of mine is as special to me as success. It's just the way I look at it.' For the unversed, OK Jaanu, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was co-produced by Karan Johar under his banner, Dharma Productions. The 2017 musical romantic drama received negative reviews, which led to its box office failure. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store