Once upon a time, A. Dhanalakshmi was the CBFC’s Regional Officer in Hyderabad during the early 2010s.
Her tenure was known for strict enforcement of censorship rules, leading to frequent disagreements with Tollywood filmmakers and several high-profile controversies over cuts, particularly involving dialogues.
After her, no other officer’s name generated quite the same level of discussion. Now, another name is reportedly making waves and he is Vempati Shashi Sekhar.
He was appointed as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly with the recommendation of prominent BJP leader Ram Madhav.
Since he is a Telugu person, the expectation in the industry was that he would be supportive of Telugu cinema. But Tollywood insiders are reportedly complaining that he is instead making things increasingly difficult for filmmakers.
The major difference between him and Dhanalakshmi, however, is that he reportedly listens when influential people intervene.
Well, many are doubting how the film “Toxic” has seen the light with such a strict officer in seat. Is his focus only on the direct Telugu films, is the question many in Tollywood are asking.
For “Korean Kanakaraju,” he reportedly asked the makers to obtain an NOC from KIA as the brand name was used in the film. At that point, Pawan Kalyan reportedly intervened and made calls at the national level, following which the issue was said to have been stopped.
Now, objections are reportedly being raised over “Rambha Urvasi Menaki.” The reported objections include the way the apsaras are portrayed and the costumes in which they are shown.
It is being heard that Akkineni Nagarjuna intervened and brought the matter to Ram Madhav’s attention. However, there is reportedly still uncertainty over whether the censor chief will listen to the intervention.
And that’s not the only issue.
While “Vishwanath and Sons” was running in theatres, the makers reportedly wanted to play the trailer of “The Paradise” during the screening. But permission was allegedly denied, with the reported response that he would not approve it without knowing what kind of film it was.
With such incidents reportedly continuing, film industry personalities are said to be increasingly concerned that every upcoming film could face similar problems.
There is now talk that several prominent members of the Telugu film industry are preparing to unite and lodge a complaint against the officer.
The issue is reportedly being taken up at higher levels, with discussions about taking it all the way to the Prime Minister’s level and staging a protest.
In short, what began as complaints over individual films is reportedly turning into a collective issue between the Telugu film industry and the censor board leadership.
