Kaalakaandi ordered 73 cuts by CBFC; Saif Ali Khan's film release postponed

Akshat Verma made quite a few heads turn and tongues click when he wrote Abhinay Deo’s 2009 black comedy Delhi Belly. A first of its kind, the urban comedy had expletives peppered all over its screenplay. But it managed to pass the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) scanner back then with an A certificate. [caption id=“attachment_3808331” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Saif Ali Khan’s look from Kaalakaandi. File image.[/caption] Now, the CBFC has decided not to spare Verma’s directorial debut Kaalakaandi, starring Saif Ali Khan in the lead role. The Quint reports that in one of his parting blows , the former CBFC Chairperson Pahal Nihalani has ordered 73 cuts in the film, owing majorly to the liberal use of expletives. The same report quotes a member of the CBFC as saying, “Kaalakaandi makes Delhi Belly look like a Disney film. When Delhi Belly was released there were waves of shock and disbelief among the public at the torrent  of profanities. But Kaalakaandi sets an all-new benchmark of expletives. We at the CBFC heard gaalis (expletives) that we had never heard of and never imagined existed. The film is a dictionary of dirty abuses. I am sure it will prove highly educational if the cuts are restored.” However, with Nihalani’s departure, the makers of Kaalakaandi might have the upper hand. They are likely to appeal to the Revising Committee for reviewing the film. For the same purpose, they have postponed the release date of Kaalakaandi from 8 September and will release the new date shortly. The same report quotes Nihalani as saying, “Since I am no longer there to censor films the makers of Kaalaakandi can happily go to the Revising Committee and get all the cuts restored. They now have very liberal board members who I am sure would do justice to whatever comes to them.” Kaalakaandi also stars Akshay Oberoi, Shobhita Dhulipala, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Deepak Dobiyal and Vijay Raaz. It is produced by Rohit Khattar and Ashi Dua Sara’s Cinestaan Film Company Pvt Ltd. With inputs from IANS.