New Delhi — Actor Adil Hussain, whose film “Un-Freedom” failed to get a certificate for release in India, Mar. 31 said banning the same-sex love story was “baseless.”
“Un-Freedom,” helmed by Florida-based director Raj Amit Kumar, is a thriller that chronicles a lesbian love story set in New York and New Delhi and is said to be inspired by Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s poem “Ye Dagh Dagh Ujala.” Hussain plays the father of the Indian protagonist in the movie.
“It does not need to be banned. Today, people get everything on the Internet. By banning ‘Un-Freedom,’ we are showing disrespect towards the nation. It’s underestimating the wisdom of the citizen. Things don’t work like that,” said Hussain.
Censor board officials had said the movie had been denied a certificate by the Examining Committee, but later a Revising Committee had agreed to give it an ‘A’ certification with cuts.
The filmmaker, they said, then approached the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, which upheld the decision of the Examining Committee.
The actor feels the claims made by the board that the film might create a “riot-like situation” and that it shows an “unnatural love” were baseless.
“Topics like these are no more a taboo in our country. We have a rich history and the beautiful Ajanta and Ellora caves are the best example of it. Showcasing such movies will help a nation to evolve,” Hussain said.
Disappointed at being unable to get the required clearance, filmmaker Kumar said such a move by the Central Board of Film Certification is like taking away “basic human rights.”
“What I am experiencing is tyranny, hypocrisy and irony of people … I don’t feel any film should be banned in the country. You can only give strict certification and you can remove certain things or the other, depending on that,” Kumar said.
Censor board officials emphasized that the movie had been denied a certificate by the Examining Committee but later a Revising Committee had agreed to give it an ‘A’ certification with cuts.
“For the movie ‘Unfreedom: Blemished Light,’ certification had been sought. The movie was then seen by the Examining Committee, which felt that the movie was not fit for certification. The film was then viewed by the Revising Committee, which by a majority decision, decided it could be certified ‘A’ with cuts. So, to say that the CBFC has banned (the film), it’s not correct,” said a senior official when asked to comment on the reports regarding the banning of the film in India.
The film is expected to hit North American theaters May 29.
American erotic romance “Fifty Shades of Grey” too, failed to get clearance for its release in India from the censor board.