Highlights
- "I am very happy to join the CBFC," Vidya Balan tweeted
- Prasoon Joshi replaced Pahlaj Nihalani as the new CBFC chief
- CBFC has been reconstituted for a period of 3 years
Pahlaj Nihalani was sacked from the post of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief on Friday evening.
His post was filled by adman, lyricist Prasoon Joshi. Apart from that,
actress Vidya Balan was named a member of the CBFC. In a series of tweets, Vidya, 38, expressed her thoughts on getting the new role. "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 complexities of the society we are living in today," she tweeted.
Pahlaj Nihalani, accused of morally policing films and demanding multiple cuts, was appointed as the CBFC chief in 2015. His tenure was marked by criticism.
Lipstick Under My Burkha and
Jab Harry Met Sejal were the recent two films which faced Mr Nihalani's brunt.
However, Pahlaj Nihalani has 'no regrets' of being ousted from the post. "Do I have any regrets? None at all. I worked in all sincerity and with utmost honesty. In the process, I offended a lot of the so-called progressive elements. I also got labelled a '
Sanskari' censor chief. I am proud of that label. I hope I am remembered as the CBFC chairperson who took a firm stand against vulgarity and pseudo-liberalism, no matter how unpopular it made me," he told news agency IANS.
Meanwhile, the CBFC has been reconstituted for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The board now comprises of 12 other members apart from Vidya Balan.
Vidya Balan, the National Award-winning actress, is the star of films such as
Parineeta, Kahaani, The Dirty Picture and
Paa. She is married to film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur.
(With IANS inputs)