'Dictatorship': 'Satluj' director slams CBFC's new guidelines
What's the story
Filmmaker Honey Trehan has slammed the latest guidelines issued by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), calling them an example of "cowardice" and "dictatorship." His comments come four months after his historical crime drama Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh, remained stuck in certification limbo for years and was pulled from ZEE5 days after its release. The CBFC recently issued five new directives in an advisory.
Reaction
Trehan's post on CBFC guidelines
Trehan took to his Instagram Stories to express concern over the new guidelines, saying they threaten freedom of expression.
He wrote, "New guidelines show and underline the cowardice and the dictatorship in the country, not the democratic approach toward the freedom of speech," adding a camera emoji.
His film Satluj was initially titled Punjab '95 and is based on Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra's life.
Film's journey
'Satluj' faced prolonged battle for certification
Satluj faced a prolonged battle for certification from the CBFC for several years before its release on ZEE5 in July under the title Satluj.
However, it was taken down from the streaming platform within days of its premiere.
The Centre had reportedly raised national security concerns over the film, while the makers maintained that these were not the reasons behind its troubled release.
Guidelines
New CBFC guidelines issued
The recent advisory marks the first set of guidelines from the reconstituted CBFC, which was overhauled a few months ago after a nine-year hiatus.
The board, now chaired by former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, includes actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rupali Ganguly, and Manoj Joshi, among others.
One of the five directives states that films submitted for certification must be complete and that announced release dates and promotional titles will not be treated as binding.