'KKHH3' to 'Mastizaade': Is the Censor Board killing the adult comedy genre in Bollywood?

Pahlaj Nihalani, chairperson of CBFC, however, maintains that they are not being unreasonable.
Till barely a few years ago, adult comedies were lucrative box office propositions, following the success of 'Kyaa Kool Hain Hum,' 'Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum' and 'Grand Masti.' However, with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) recommending a lot of cuts to certify movies like 'Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3' (KKHH3) and 'Mastizaade,' the genre seems to have taken a beating.The latest is that the CBFC has refused certification to 'Great Grand Masti' on grounds of its adult content being too hot to handle. Industry folks attribute the rigidity to the current chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani, who, they feel is going overboard by following the archaic guidelines.
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Tusshar, who starred in 'KKHH3' (that was also his home production), says the recent censorship has come down strongly on this genre. 'Distributors of 'KKHH3' told us the audience felt it was like a normal film and despite the 'A' rating, there was barely anything adult in it, unlike the first two instalments. The 100-plus cuts affected the film,' he says. With a few outrageous gestures, skimpily-clad women and suggestive oohs and aahs, 'KKHH3,' which positioned itself as India's first porn-com, lacked the porn and the com.
Rangita Nandy, producer of 'Mastizaade,' which got its censor certificate after six months of going to Examining Committee (EC), Revising Committee (RC) and also Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), says, 'Even today, it's difficult to make an adult comedy. We will always have a section of people saying this is the wrong kind of film for the social fabric of the country. However, as long as there's an audience for such movies, we will keep making them.'
Mahesh Bhatt believes his colleagues must stop complaining about the Censor Board's recommended deletion or revision. He says, 'Even though we asked for an 'A' certificate for 'Love Games,' the EC asked for 18 cuts. That wasn't acceptable to us so we approached the FCAT, which cleared our film with an 'A' certificate and no cuts.'
Though Tusshar concedes that CBFC members are doing their job and following prescribed guidelines, he also points out that the Board was considerably liberal and flexible a couple of years ago. He adds, 'In lieu of the recent censorship of adult comedies, I would think twice before making another one. And after all the deletions, it will cease to be an 'adult comedy'. It will merely be an 'A'-certified film.'
Bhatt feels filmmakers should not be bullied by the Censor Board. He explains, 'We want them to roll the red carpet and make things easier for us, which they won't. If you don't agree with the EC, you should go to the FCAT, which is more enlightened, independent, mature and dispassionate about its views. If you knock that door, I'm certain that despite the constraints of their guidelines, you will get away far easier there.'
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Rangita's film was refused certification by even the FCAT before she began the entire exercise again. They finally got a certificate after agreeing to the 32 cuts asked for by the Censor Board. She says, 'Though we have made adult films like 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' and 'Chameli' before, 'Mastizaade' was our first adult comedy. There was so much conversation about our film that this censorship issue was blown out of proportion.' When asked if she would make another adult comedy despite the censor hurdles, she says, 'Hell, yeah!'
However, Pahlaj Nihalani, chairperson CBFC, maintains that they view and certify films on the basis of the content they get. 'We don't know what the original content is and are not concerned with it. We see only what the producer submits. You should ask the producers how many cuts they made in their films before submission and how many cuts we asked for. They are the content providers, not us. If you check the complete history of the film's certification, you will see that we are not being unreasonable.'
Given the current scenario, we wonder when our India audience will be treated to an all-out sex-comedy?
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