Documentary on Varanasi LS poll denied Censor's approval

New Delhi, Aug 28: A prominent filmmaker has claimed that his documentary film on the high-profile electoral battle for Varanasi seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections has been denied the Censor Board's go ahead on the pretext that it "did not fit into its guidelines".

National Award-winning director Kamal Swaroop said his film 'Battle for Benaras' on the high-profile Lok Sabha poll battle, which featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was recently examined by a Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) panel.

Speaking to PTI over the phone, he claimed that while the Board is yet to convey about the film to him in writing, he was verbally told that it does not fit into CBFC guidelines." "We haven't (received any written intimation).... but verbally they have said that it does not fit into their guidelines," Swaroop said.

The filmmaker said that he wanted his film to be screened in the Panorama Section of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa for which a certification of the Board was needed.

Swaroop said he was now contemplating future action, including appealing to the appellate tribunal. Efforts were made to contact CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani but he did not respond to either phone calls or text messages sent to him.

PTI