NCSC asks Censor Board to review ''Aarakshan'', defer release

New Delhi, Aug 10: Objecting to the "derogatory way" the backward community has been represented in Prakash Jha's ''Aarakshan'', the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has asked the Censor Board to make necessary changes in the film before its Friday release.

The decision was taken by the NCSC following a special screening of the Amitabh Bachchan-Saif Ali Khan starrer here.

"The main theme of the movie is about commercialisation of education followed by several objectionable dialogues against people from backward communities. There is no discussion on reservation in its second half. We have asked the Censor Board to make necessary changes in it," NCSC Chairman P L Punia told PTI.

The movie needs some major revisions and its release should be deferred keeping in mind the sensibilities of the backward communities in the country, he said.

"The makers of this movie have made a mockery of the judgements passed by courts and decisions taken by government by using objectionable dialogues such as ''Aarakshan hamara janamsiddh khairat hai and 50 per cent mein kya hoga, ab 100 per cent quota le jao''," Punia said.

Asked if the movie is released without recommended cuts, he said, "We have requested them to make the cuts, our job ends here. We are not going to fight. Being a Constitutional body it was our responsibility and under Article 338, it comes in our purview."

A nine-member team of the Censor Board had given a U/A certificate to the film without any cuts but Punia had demanded a special screening of the movie.

PTI