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National Award winning actress Vidya Balan was on Friday appointed as part of the reconstituted Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), to be now chaired by writer Prasoon Joshi. She looks forward to a phase where cinema celebrates present-day sensibilities and realities.
“I am very happy to join the CBFC and I hope to fulfill my responsibilities as a member to the best of my abilities. I look forward to this new and exciting phase where our cinema will be allowed to reflect the sensibilities, realities and the complexities of the society we are living in today,” Vidya said in a statement.
The CBFC has been reconstituted for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier, a PIB statement said on Friday.
Vidya is joined by Gautami Tadimalla, Narendra Kohli, Naresh Chandra Lal, Neil Herbert Nongkynrih, Vivek Agnihotri, Waman Kendre, T.S. Nagabharana, Ramesh Patange, Vani Tripati Tikoo, Jeevitha Rajasekhar and Mihir Bhuta.
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The development came on the same day as the Pahlaj Nihalani was sacked as the CBFC chief and replaced by Joshi. Agnihotri told IANS that he was “tempted” to join the censor board after Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani told him of Joshi’s appointment.
“I didn’t know about it. When I got the charge back then also I got to know through media and now that someone else has been appointed, this also I am getting to know through media. I have nothing to say and I respect Indian government’s orders,” Nihalani told entertainment portal Pinkvilla.
He said, “I am not at all upset with it. 98% of the film industry was happy with my work, it was just 2% that are unhappy. But I wish them all the best. And har kisi ke kaam mein ache aur bure ki pehchaan hoti hai (everyone gets criticized and praised for their work). Let them enjoy and wish all those producers who think I haven’t done good job. There has been no direct communication with me at all. Nothing is my hand, it is government’s decision. I didn’t come here to be permanent. Whatever the responsibilities they gave me, I did it with all sincerity and entirety. My staff has supported me and CBFC became corruption-free and online certification also became transparent (under my leadership).”
He further said, “I have recommended it earlier too that we should have a fixed rating scale. The government hasn’t done anything new. If they wanted to do something, they would have listened to my request. I have adopted the rule book that they gave me and the name is Censor Board of Film Certification. My team members and I followed it. Previous members didn’t follow it. I have implemented it.”
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