Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan has made some striking statements about the current state of freedom of expression for filmmakers in the country. Saif’s upcoming dark comedy, Kaalakaandi, has been given 72 cuts by the CBFC for excessive use of profanity.
When asked by an English daily if the censor board is curbing filmmakers’ creativity, Saif said that things are taking a political undertone. “It’s definitely better to make a Baahubali than a Mahabharat. People have become sensitive, and have started blurring the lines between religion, mythology, fact and fiction,” he added.
Saif’s comments gain prominence as they reflect the numerous hardships the highly-anticipated Bollywood period drama, Padmavat, had to go through to get the censor clearance. Meanwhile, Kaalakaandi makers have approached the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) against the CBFC’s diktat.