Mandali : Actor Filmmaker Rakesh Chaturvedi Om lashes out at the incompetency of CBFC

Mandali: Actor Filmmaker Rakesh Chaturvedi Om lashes out at the incompetency of CBFC

Imagine – A movie set for release within 5 – 6 days in theatres passed with a UA certificate but the makers still couldn’t run the trailer of the film in theatres today, thanks to the incompetency of our CBFC (Censor Board of Film Certification).

Frustrating indeed, this has happened with the actor director of the forthcoming family social Mandali set to release nest Friday – October 27, 2023.

Rakesh Chaturvedi Om – The director of Mandali who is also an actor is visiting the CBFC office again and again, literally begging with the officers and the concerned department heads but his genuine appeal is falling on deaf ears.

Sharing his aghast with Cineblues, the director and actor Rakesh Chautervedi Om says, “I have explained that our movie Mandali is releasing on Friday 27, 2023 and we need to put our trailers to spread the awareness of our family social film which is duly passed with a UA certificate, why is the delay”.

“I got a reply that its still time for 27^th October.”

He continues by saying that “I said that we don’t have time, I have submitted every required paper but no response, if they give me any reason/suggest changes, the process will take three to four days, when will our trailer of Mandali will run in theatres?, how will the audience going to theatres for the recent release Yaariyan 2, Ganapath, Leo etc and the successful ones like Jawaan, Gadar 2 come to know about our film”.

The frustrated Rakesh Chaturvedi blamed the CBFC of foul play, he said, “I begged them on phone, I asked them to show mercy on us, we have already given around fifteen to twenty lakhs to agencies to run our trailer in theatres we have targeted eighteen hundred screens but of no use. They have even held our teaser, we gave the papers etc everything on time but nothing happened. Then after my reminder issued a show cause notice for the teaser. Unbelievable, on my reminder they issued a notice and asked me to submit the teaser again. You know how difficult it is for a small-time filmmaker to make a film and then find theatres, the attitude of CBFC is against the industry, they want to discourage people from making films., what do they want”.

When asked when did the trailer and teaser got submitted to CBFC, Rakesh Chaturvedi said, “ We have submitted quite early, gave all the papers and they issued a show cause notice as said earlier, I am asking them the reason, what is the objection but no reply, one day, two day, three days its going on and on, am visiting the CBFC office, being asked to wait for five to six hours but no result, I have begged with the clerks also to consider our situation, but nothing is happening”.

On asked what he thinks is the reason behind these delaying tactics by CBFC, Rakesh Chaturvedi throws a shocker, he says, “There is someone in the CBFC who is against the ideologies of Sanatan Dharma showed through Ram Lila in the film getting spread”.

Rakesh Chaturvedi further adds, “If they had any reason, they should have mentioned, CBFC has maintained an annoying silence, when you have passed the movie with UA certificate what is the issue with the trailer”?. Even if they reply to me on Monday and ask me to change anything or whatever and if we do the needful and then submit and if hopefully if that gets approved considering Tuesday being holiday for Dussehra, at the most we will get the censor certificate for Mandali on Thursday, the movie releases on Friday… the CBFC is dead body for filmmakers like us”.

On asked what he has to say finally, the dejected Rakesh Chaturvedi Om says, “ We would have made the awareness at the right time according to the theme of our film Mandali considering this auspicious occasion of Navratri and Dusshera falling this Tuesday but am running from pillar to post for our trailer certificate, our case is pending since October 10, no response, no reason told, they ask me are you the producer?, what the hell, I told them I am the director, why are asking for producer?, they need money?, recently south actor Vishal highlighted the corruption in CBFC?. Now they are targeting us, the industry, taking revenge or what? Is there a plan to stop the awareness of our film based values of Ramayana and Sanatan Dharma during the auspicious occasion of Navratri and Dusshera falling on Tuesday with Diwali in the mid of next month?

Rakesh Chaturvedi Om concludes by saying, “ CBFC has no sympathy towards the film community, their heart doesn’t bleed for us, the concerned authority is not available for various reasons, our patience is tested, incompetent, lazy people working at important positions in CBFC should be thrown out immediately and some one who has a heart and ear for the film industry and its makers should be appointed to ensure things run smoothly, we are seriously thinking of writing to the higher authority and request for some action for the benefit of all”.

 

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