EXCLUSIVE: Vedaa’s screening for CBFC’s Revising Committee to be held on Monday, July 29; Nikkhil Advani shares details: “Since I had an extremely incredible experience with the Censors during Batla House and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, I am stunned this time”
On the evening of July 25, the makers of Vedaa put out a statement that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is yet to see the film and give a certificate though they applied for it a month ago. Starring John Abraham and Sharvari, the CBFC’s Examining Committee (EC) viewed the film after it was recommended that a Revising Committee (RC) should see it. The screening for RC hasn’t happened though the EC saw the film way back. With the film’s release less than three weeks away – August 15 – the makers publicly requested the relevant authorities to expedite the process.
Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke with Vedaa’s director-producer Nikkhil Advani to better understand the issue. He told us, “On June 22, the screening took place and on June 25, I got an email stating that the chairman (Prasoon Joshi) had sent the film to the Revising Committee. But it’s me who has to send the film to the RC. How can the Chairman send the film? If the EC had told me about the cuts, I may have even accepted it.”
He added, “It’s an out-and-out entertaining film but it also deals with a current topic which has been dealt with a lot of sensitivity. But obviously, they have found things objectionable which they have to let me know.”
When asked if an attempt was made from his side to contact Prasoon Joshi, the filmmaker replied, “Yes, of course, we reached out to him and also the other officials. Even John Abraham reached out to them. Mr Joshi responded that he has passed on the relevant instructions to the CBFC to constitute an RC and see the film as soon as possible. But this was one month ago.”
However, the silver lining is that the RC screening is happening in a few days. Nikkhil Advani revealed, “Now, there’s a proposed screening on Monday, July 29, of the RC. Hopefully, they’ll let me know what those cuts and issues are. Then I’ll take action accordingly.” He also said, “The screening was supposed to happen today, Friday, July 26. Due to heavy rains in the city, it was cancelled yesterday as they feared that the members might not be able to attend. So, now the screening will happen on Monday. This means three more days of my promotions going for a toss.”
Nikkhil Advani also opened up, “Since I had an extremely incredible experience during Batla House (2019) and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway (2023), I am stunned this time.”
We asked him to explain what happened during these two films. Nikkhil said, “We made Batla House which was also a controversial film. The CBFC, at that time, was on our side and they strongly felt that it was a film which definitely needed to be seen. They were with us when the film was dragged to the Court. There were even tricky sequences in Satyameva Jayate (2018) which was an out-and-out massy film (and yet it got passed).”
He explained, “Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway (2023) was a film that India would be extremely proud of considering the incredible role played by Sushma Swaraj ji in the episode. We had changed a few lines that she uttered in Parliament. They pointed that out to us and helped us (get it right).”
He also said, “There were sequences where the character played by Rani Mukerji speaks in a brash language by calling the whites as harami, etc. But that was because her character was semi-educated and belonged to a small town near Kolkata. The RO had an objection to it. We explained to them that the character was not a refined person. The word ‘harami’, in fact, is a no-no as far as the CBFC is concerned. But we made sure that we were not going to use the abusive word in any other film and we had to use it over here. Rani also spoke to Mr Prasoon and so did I to explain our point. They all accepted our view.”
Nikkhil Advani then stated, “So, once we have a conversation, there are things that we are willing to accept in case we may have pushed certain boundaries. But there are also times when the CBFC has seen things in context and has allowed it. But the key word in all this is ‘conversation’.”
Is he looking for a U/A or an adult-only certificate for Vedaa? Nikkhil Advani retorted, “I am looking for a censor certificate right now. Period (laughs).”
He signed off by saying, “But obviously, I am looking for a U/A certificate. You have seen the teaser of the film and it promises a mass, action film. It deals with an issue but one has to see the context in which the film was made. And this is what I am going to tell the RC on Monday.”
Also Read: John Abraham’s Vedaa release uncertain as CBFC delays certification; makers release statement: “We have waited patiently for a revising committee to be constituted”
