Woah! Saif Ali Khan’s ‘Kaalakaandi’ Ordered 73 Cuts by CBFC

The CBFC is shocked at the amount of profanities and cuss words in ‘Kaalakaandi’.

Writer Akshat Verma who served up an orgy of profanities in his  screenplay of Delhi Belly is back with a new film Kaalakaandi, this time as both writer and  director.

The Central Board  Of Film Certification (CBFC) has reportedly ordered  as many as 73 cuts in Kaalakaandi. This staggering  number of deletions is a record of sorts.

A source from the CBFC commented, “Kaalakaandi makes Delhi Belly look like a Disney film. When Delhi Belly was released there were waves of shock and disbelief among the public at the torrent  of profanities. But Kaalakaandi sets an all-new benchmark of expletives. We at the CBFC heard gaalis that we had never heard of and never imagined existed. The film is a  dictionary of dirty abuses. I am  sure it will prove highly educational  if the cuts are restored.”

Interestingly Saif Ali Khan who is part of the Kaalakandi cast had ushered in the era of fearless profanities in  Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara. This was the first film in which Hindi cuss words were liberally allowed.

Now , if the stunned sources at CBFC are to be believed, another  Saif starrer has just set a new record in profanities.

While Kaalakaandi was shown to the CBFC before Pahlaj Nihalani’s exit, sources say Prasoon Joshi's entry would not make any notable change in the policy decisions of the board. The current procedure of going strictly by the guidelines given to the CBFC is expected to continue until the changes suggested by Shyam Benegal's committee are implemented.

When contacted here’s what Nihalani had to say:

Since I am no longer there to censor films the makers of Kaalaakandi can happily go to the Revising Committee and get all the cuts restored. They now have very liberal board members who I am sure would do justice to whatever comes to them.

Pahlaj Nihalani, Former chairperson, CBFC

It remains  to be seen whether the Tribunal will upturn the CBFC’s decision and allow the profanities to be retained.

Delhi Belly was allowed more than its fair share of abuses, and Aamir Khan being the producer surely helped the film get way with its lewd language.

But who will come to the rescue of Kaalaakandi, as  for now, the scissors have come down heavily on its colourful content.