The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has reportedly refused Maharashtra Congress’ demand to screen Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar exclusively for the party, before its release. CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihlani told Times of India that the board does not have ownership rights to films and that only the producer or director can decide who to screen the film for ahead of its release.
Sanjay Nirupam, Mumbai Congress chief, had written to the director and the CBFC to screen the film. The film is about the 1975 Emergency period in India, with primary focus on the Gandhis. The Congress chief is concerned about how late Indira Gandhi and son, Sanjay Gandhi, have been portrayed in the movie.
His letter says: “The trailer of the film says it is a film on Emergency and hence we can see the likes of our beloved leaders like Indira Gandhi ji, Sanjay Gandhiji & senior leaders of Indian National Congress. We therefore want to be certain that our leaders are not shown in bad light & hence would like to see the film before it is censored.”
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Bhandarkar, who has refused to screen the film for “anyone”, especially a political party, clarifies that the film is not based on any individual but merely uses the Emergency period as a backdrop. “I would tell Congress people to come and watch the film in theatres before making such comments,” Bhandarkar said.
Earlier, Jyotiraditya Scindia had alleged that the Madhur Bhandarkar film was fully sponsored. “This film is fully sponsored. The organisation and the individual who is behind the film is known to us. We totally condemn the false depictions in the film,” he said.
Indu Sarkar stars Kriti Kulhari, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Anupam Kher in lead roles.