Udta Beep, Ladta Pahlaj or Udta Mazaak?

Shahid Kapoor dressed in saffron robes, kulhar of lassi in hand, long locks set against the rudraksh malas; the newest mime to hit #UdtaPunjab is the poster that names the film Udta Beep with a tagline — Story of a sanskari Punjabi boy and lassi — starring Shahid Sanskari Kapoor!

As much as the Hindi film fraternity joined by cine-lovers is up in arms against the proposed 89 cuts and the title change for the movie Udta Punjab, twitterati is in an overdrive, reacting in a light-hearted manner. Another poster that surfaced online has a phone call at Censor Board office, Hollywood wale puch rahe hain hamare superman aur spiderman Bharat main ud sakte hain. Amul, which comes with to-the-point satire, has its mascot training guns along with the cast Shahid, Diljit, Alia and Kareena labelled Ladta Pahlaj. Apart from strong condemnation of the move, people interpreted the Board curb in their own way – one relating it to ‘turn off location’. Here’s more.

@Shirish Kunder

The makers of #UdtaPunjab could make use of the opportunity and rename it as ‘Jab We Cut’. ‘Jab We Met’ fans will be happy with the sequel.

@sonakshisinha

I really dont know what #UdtaPunjab should be renamed to... But the Censor Board can surely consider the name #UdtaMazaak.

@ RoflGandhi_

Ok, let’s negotiate. Shift Nihalani to RBI replacing Rajan. Then atleast we wud be able to see good movies, economy ki toh waise b lagi hai.

— Complied by Mona

Not anti-Punjab, says Benegal

Acclaimed filmmaker Shyam Benegal has said Udta Punjab does not denigrate Punjab and that it’s a “laudable effort” by the filmmakers to bring to light the state’s vulnerability to drug abuse.

“It’s a well-made film. It brings to attention a very serious problem - that of drug use among young people, which can, if we are not careful, become a rampant problem. It’s a laudable effort,” multiple National Award-winning film-maker Benegal opines. “But people are misreading the film. They are under the impression that it is anti-Punjab. I don’t think the film is anti-Punjab at all,” says Benegal, who heads the government-appointed revamp panel of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

However, Benegal said he was speaking as an individual filmmaker, not as head of the CBFC revamp committee.”If the question is of the use of dialect and language, there is a great deal of obscenity being used (in the film). But you see, there are certain sections of our population that use obscenity as punctuation in the language,” he opines. Having said that, Benegal asserted that he would not recommend the film for a universal audience.

“It cannot get a ‘U’ certificate, and I am told the producers never asked for a universal certificate. They only asked for an ‘A’ certificate. So, in terms of age and maturity, the film is only meant essentially for adults and not people younger than properly grown adults,” says the 81-year-old.

Benegal shares that in essence, “Udta Punjab” makes an important point. “Punjab is vulnerable. Unfortunately, it happens to be extremely vulnerable because it’s a border state and it’s a doorway to India. So, drugs that come in from outside have to pass through Punjab,” he says. — IANS