CBFC Bends NOC Rule for Bhandarkar’s Emergency Film ‘Indu Sarkar’?

CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani exempts Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Indu Sarkar’ from getting an NOC from the Gandhi family.

It seems that the censor board has multiple standards when dealing with films with a political theme. While the makers of the Manmohan Singh bio-pic would be asked to get an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the man himself, Madhur Bhandarkar can heave a sigh of relief.

His film on Mrs Indira Gandhi’s draconian Emergency, titled Indu Sarkar, won’t need an NOC from anyone in the Congress party or the Gandhi family. On the contrary, the CBFC is thrilled to see the Emergency being slammed in the film’s trailer.

I saw Madhur’s trailer and I want to congratulate him for blowing the lid off one of the most shameful chapters of Indian politics. This was a time when the nation was put in the most embarrassing spotlight in the global arena. Many of our biggest leaders had to go to jail during the Emergency. Indian people’s morale had hit rock-bottom.

Pahlaj Nihalani, CBFC Chief

When he says “biggest leaders” he means politicians from the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party.

But what happened to CBFC’s rule that says no film about real incidents and situations can be passed without NOCs from the concerned people?

But Indu Sarkar does not name anyone! There is no mention of Mrs Indira Gandhi or Sanjay Gandhi or anyone else in the trailer. You are only presuming that the film is about the people you mention, because of the physical resemblance.

Pahlaj Nihalani

This is a rather unconvincing argument since the trailer clearly begins by stating that the film is set during the years of the Emergency, which was declared by Mrs India Gandhi in 1977. It goes on to show Mrs Gandhi and hr son Sanjay (played by Neil Nitin Mukesh) unleashing the most arrogant tyranny on their fellow countrymen.

I didn’t hear anyone’s name mentioned in the trailer. If they are mentioned in the film, we’ll see. At the moment, I am glad that someone has made a film on the Emergency. It is a kala dhabba (black spot) on our political history.

Pahlaj Nihalani

Clearly, the lucky Madhur Bhandarkar has nothing to worry about.