What's your problem Pahlaj Nihalani, and other thoughts on the escapist behaviour of the Indian Censor Board

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) under Pahlaj Nihalani is surely flourishing. It's flourishing in promoting the idea that we live in a century where everything is a taboo topic.

Be it films focusing on women's sexuality or films about LGBTQ community, they somehow excite the censorious instincts of the authorities in India. And so our dear ol' Censor Board doesn't shy away from slamming them.

Recently a Malayalam LGBTQ film Ka Bodyscapes was denied certification for "glorifying the subject of gay and homosexual relationship". The film follows the lives of three young people in Calicut: Haris, a gay painter; Vishnu, a rural kabaddi player; and their friend Sia, an activist who refuses to conform to dominant norms of femininity.

The film's director Jayan Cherian recently posted on his Facebook account the letter he received from the Censor Board.

The letter says, "The second Revising Committee felt that the film is glorifying the subject of gay and homosexual relationship, nudity accentuating vital parts of male body (in paintings) in closed shots in the whole movie."

"The film contains posters depicting homosexuality throughout the movie and derogatory remarks against women. Abusive language is used in most of the places and also a female Muslim character is shown masturbating," it concluded.

This is the second time Censor Board has refused certification to the film. The film's director had earlier approached the Kerala high court, which directed the CBFC to grant certification to the film, while also allowing the Board to make cuts.

However, the Board refused to change its decision on the matter despite the court order. It seems they have taken the charge of gatekeeping and policing content they don't agree with. Especially if the content is related to gender, sexuality, religion, and communalism.

This is not new. The board had recently refused to certify Lipstick Under My Burkha, saying that the story is lady oriented, their fantasy above life. Earlier, it had refused certification to En Dino Muzaffarnagar, saying that  film was highly and openly critical of one group.

Also read: Censor Board refuses to certify Lipstick Under My Burkha because it is "lady oriented"

It is quite strange that the board doesn't care about vulgarity or obscenity when it comes to films like Grand Masti, or songs like Chikni Chameli or Halkat Jawani. Why are you so biased, dear Censor Board?

Why are you so scared to let reality be projected on our screens? It seems like you think that if you stop honest films about LGBTQ community, they will stop existing. As if you push their struggles under the carpet, they will stop coming out of the closet. Or that if you refuse to acknowledge films that actually focus on women owning up their bodies and their sexuality, women will stay hidden behind their pallus.

We of course, think, that you are terribly scared. Scared that if you let something you don't understand run in theatres, it'll soon become a reality that you'll have to face. What, you don't realize, however, is that films like Lipstick Under My Burkha or Ka Bodyscapes are, in fact, depicting reality. A reality that's often hidden under cover, but is happening in your own neighbourhoods at this very instant.

The main question, however, is--who the f*ck are you to decide what should people see and what they shouldn't? Who made you the moral guardian of our society? Because clearly, the job of the Censor Board is to give certifications, because that's what the name actually says. Don't impose your regressive mindset onto others.

So dear Mr Nihalani, why don't you do your job and let our films alone?