Bollywood

B-Town rallies behind ‘Udta Punjab’

Udta-Punjab-poster (File) The ongoing censor issue just got political as the Censor Board doesn't want the movie to be set in Punjab

Seems like the whole B-Town has come up all together to be by Udta Punjab makers side in their fight with the Censor board.

The A-listers took to their Twitter handles to share their thoughts on the ongoing row.

“Power is the most dangerous addiction of all & someone in the CBFC seems to be tripping hard on Lassi in the Sky with Diamonds. #UdtaPunjab,” tweeted Farhan Akhtar.

“U know a lot of people in our fraternity speak up for other causes, it's time we stood up for our own. #UdtaPunjab deserves a proper release,” said Arjun Kapoor.

“#UdtaPunjab think the govt. needs to answer. If CBFC is out of control it's worrisome, if the CBFC is being controlled more worrisome,” wrote Vikram Bhatt.

“When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar,you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say. #UdtaPunjab,” read Gauri Shinde’s tweet.

“Anyone who says that drugs are not a problem in punjab is either unaware,complicit or has malafide intention #UdtaPunjab @phoenixfire_,” tweeted Soha Ali Khan.

Alia Bhatt, one of the leads of the movie tweeted a quote of Malala Yousafzai that says, “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”

Earlier, film-makers Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap too took to Twitter to raise their voice of protest against the cencorship issue.

With a reference to the dictator regime of North Korea, the _Dev-D _director added his voice to the actors and film-makers, who have accused the Board of interfering with artistic freedom.

"I always wondered what it felt like to live in North Korea .. Ab to plane pakadney ki bhi zaroorat nahin..," Kashyap tweeted.

"There is no film more honest than UDTA PUNJAB .. And any person or party opposing it is actually GUILTY of promoting drugs," he said.

The Kuch Kuch Hota Hai director on his part said the Bollywood fraternity must stand by what is right.

"#UdtaPunjab speaks of the reality of our times....censoring reality amounts to delusion.....the fraternity has to stand by what's right!!" wrote KJo.

The protest does not limit till the film fraternity. Cricketer Harbhajan Singh too tweeted that if Udta Punjab shows reality of the state, “what's wrong with it then ?”

“Nt a movie buff bt if #UdtaPunjab showing rightly whats happening in punjab what's wrong with it then ? We want our punjab drug free state,” wrote Harbhajan.

“#Udtapunjab known for better things like love,peace,bhaichara,culture,respect,freedom fighters,spotsmans,music,I m a proud PUNJABI nd INDIAN,” he added.

The ongoing censor issue just got political as the Censor Board doesn't want the movie to be set in Punjab.

After Censor Board refused to issue a certificate to the Abhishek Chaubey-directed film, the Revising Committee of Censor Board has now given even harsher suggestions to the makers, in order to obtain the certificate.

Recommendations/Objections of the Reviewing Committee have assumed political overtones.

It is being reported that the committee wants the film to be set in a fictional land rather than in Punjab and is demanding a lot of cuts, which are against the "reality" of the movie.

Strangely, the Reviewing Committee is taking a view that the flick, which is based on the growing drug addiction among the youth, is defamatory to Punjab.

Earlier also, the ruling party in Punjab, Akali Dal, had objected to the movie. Sources close to the censors indicate towards political pressure being put in the wake of Punjab elections slated to happen early next year.

Co-produced by Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures, Udta Punjab, a highly talked about movie that is being keenly anticipated by a large section of youth, also stars Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh.

It is slated to release on June 17, but is likely to get delayed.

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