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Hearing of Govinda and Pahlaj Nihalani’s film ’Rangeela Raja’ on 12 November at Bombay High Court

“Pahlaj Nihalani is harassed unnecessarily”-says Advocate Ashok Saraogi

 Mumbai: Pahlaj Nihalani’s upcoming Hindi feature film ’Rangeela Raja’ featuring Govinda, Shakti Kapoor, Digangana Suryawanshi is facing rough weather with Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The film has been given 20 cuts by the censors for which ex CBFC chief and veteran filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani has filed a case against it in Bombay High Court through his advocate Ashok Saraogi. A press conference was organized on Saturday 10 November 2018 in Sun N Sand Hotel, Juhu, Mumbai, where the media personals were shown the scenes which have been given cut by the censor board.

 Speaking to the media on the occasion, Ashok Saraogi, advocate of Pahlaj Nihalani said, “The censor board has issued 20 cuts for the film; of which 11 cuts are inexplicable. In one scene the lead actor Govinda has slapped a girl and the censor board has asked it to be deleted. Likewise the maker Pahlaj Nihalani is harassed unnecessarily causing him mental and financial harassment. Now the hearing for the same will be held on 12 November 2018 at Bombay High Court and will prove that the 11 designated cuts are baseless.”

Ex Censor Board chief and veteran filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani declares, “In my tenure I do not passed the film “Udta Punjab” without snipping it while the ruling BJP government wanted to let it go without any cuts and it could prove beneficial for the party during the Punjab elections. Now, I feel the maltreatment I am facing of today is because of that. Looks like the current chairman Prasoon Joshi is acting on the instruction of the ruling party. Presently the censor board houses temporary members who do not have any knowledge of films or CBFC guidelines which puts a spanner in the release of a film.”

Govinda adding his regrets in the conference declares, “Since the last 9 years, all my films struggle to find a proper platform for release for one reason or the other. There is restrictedness and inadequacy which stalls the films by not getting proper cinema halls. Some unscrupulous people do not want any goodness to beckon to me or do something good.”