'The Jungle Book' is 'scary' says 'sanskaari' Pahlaj Nihalani; gives it U/A certificate

Since the time he wrote it in 1893-94, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book has enthralled children all over the world. Various iterations of it — on TV, in films — have only extended the popularity of the story. But its most recent live action big screen version — The Jungle Book directed by Jon Favreau and starring 10-year-old actor Neel Sethi — has been deemed ‘scary’ for children by Pahlaj Nihalani, the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification. [caption id=“attachment_2715206” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Jungle Book. Screen grab from YouTube[/caption] The CBFC has given a ‘U/A’ rating to the film, which means that children will be able to watch the film only under adult supervision. When asked about the U/A certificate, Nihalani said that the film’s “startling” 3D effects made parental supervision a necessity. He further added that the film was different from the version of The Jungle Book we were used to. Nihalani told DNA, “Please don’t go by the reputation of the book. See the film and then decide on the suitability of the content for kids. The 3D effects are so scary that the animals seem to jump right at the audience.” The censor chief added that it wasn’t just the content or subject matter of a film, but also the way in which it was presented that determined the rating it would receive. Nihalani additionally said that it wasn’t the story that determines certification, but the overall presentation. The censor board chief said that with wild animals jumping at the audience in 3D, kids could be startled, and that parents should decide if those effects are suited for their children. As Baloo from The Jungle Book says, you better believe it.