"We welcome the CBI probe about censor irregularities" - Pahlaj Nihalani

19 Aug 2015

With the CBI ordering a probe against Rohit Shetty and the other producers of Singham Returns for breaking the queue and obtaining a censor certificate irregularly, a virtual Pandora's box has been opened up regarding the quick-certifications methods that were employed in the earlier regime.

Says the current censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani, "We thoroughly welcome a probe against not only one film and its producers but all the films and producers that obtained censor certificates from the backdoor." Nihalani shocks by saying an online racket was on during the time before he took over as the CBFC chairperson on January. "Fake certificates were being issued online. Why were producers getting certificates issued through backdoors via brokers and middlemen?" The censor chief says the first thing he did on taking over at the CBFC was to do away with the system of delay in certification. "I am told certification would take weeks. The delay made producers nervous about meeting their release deadlines. They broke the queue and the rules because they were cornered. The first thing I did on taking over is to issue censor certificates to films within 48 hours of their submission for certification. In this way all corrupt practices have been eradicated." Nihalani says he is willing to provide the CBI all the facts and data at his disposal. "Let them probe into the irregularities to see how deep the corruption goes. I'd be happy to co-operate in every way possible."