'Haal': CBFC Demands Several Cuts From The Shane Nigam Film

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has demanded a list of cuts from the Malayalam film Haal, starring Shane Nigam. Only once these cuts are made will the board issue a certificate allowing the film for exhibition, The Hindu reported.

The film’s release has already been pushed twice, first to September 19 and then later to October 10. Among the scenes that were asked to be removed is one in which the characters of the film are said to be consuming beef biryani. The film, directed by Veera, also stars Sakshi Vaidya.

The film’s producers have approached the Kerala High Court against the CBFC, and the court is said to have directed the board to make clear its stand during the next hearing on October 14, the report added. Apart from the scene involving beef, the CBFC objected to other scenes, including one in which a character wears a purdah to hide identity, a shot of characters wearing a rakhi, a scene where a character says ‘Dhwaja Pranamam’ (a greeting associated with the RSS), and a reference to ‘Ganapathi Vattam’. Shane Nigam was last seen in Balti.

In July, another Malayalam film faced a similar fate when the CBFC asked for as many as 96 cuts in it. After missing its initial release date, the makers of JSK - Janaki Vs State Of Kerala had agreed to change the film’s title to add the initials of the lead character. The new title of the film became JSK - Janaki V. Vs State Of Kerala, according to a suggestion by the CBFC. Instead of the 96 cuts that were initially demanded, the CBFC had later settled for two cuts in the film. CBFC raised concerns over the film’s title as it portrayed the name Janaki, another name for Sita, as a survivor of sexual abuse. The Malayalam film co-starred Suresh Gopi and Anupama Parameswaran.