#UdtaPunjab or #UdtaPM: Twittterati debates Censor Board’s illogical diktats

Bengaluru, June 7; Since yesterday, the users of the micro-blogging site, Twitter, have expressed their protest against the latest diktat of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Censor Board wants the word Punjab to be removed from the title of the upcoming Bollywood flick, Udta Punjab.

Not only that, the Board has asked the makers of the film to remove any reference of Punjab from the film. This is not the end of the trauma inflicted by the Censor Board on the director of the film Abhishek Chaubey. The CBFC has also proposed 89 cuts on Udta Punjab, before it could be released. Apparently, the Board feels that the film--highlighting the rampant drug abuse in the northern state of Punjab--has several objectionable words.

Several reports say that the Board is facing political pressure from the ruling Akali Dal in the state. The leaders of the Akali Dal feel that the film is an attempt to tarnish the image of the state. Thus the political party is trying its best to stop the release of the film.

With an ample dose of humour and sarcasm, Twiterrati has come out in the open to oppose the latest ruling of the Censor Board that defies all logic. A group of Twiterrati also trended #UdtaPM, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's frequent visits to foreign shores in the last two years. Currently, the PM is on a five-nation tour.

"I always wondered what it felt like to live in North Korea .. Ab to plane pakadney ki bhi zaroorat nahin..," tweeted noted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72), whose several films faced trouble from the Board.

"Censor has asked for 89 cuts in #UdtaPunjab, all they allowed is 'balle bale makke di roti, haddipa bhangra pao ji'. That's real Punjab. No?" tweeted Rofl Udta Gandhi (@RoflGandhi_).

"After 50 cuts & change in name Udta Punjab will be left with a National Anthem, documentary of gutkha Mukesh, a sanskrit shloka & 'The End'," tweeted Ra_Bies (@Ra_Bies).

Some of the tweets under the trend #UdtaPM are:

"RT @vikeel_reddy: Yeh apna hi PM Modi hai ya flying machine, im still stunned, 5 countries at one go. Phewww #UdtaPM," tweeted binilmuthu ‏(@rbinilmuthu).

"The sentence "My life is a journey" I took it very seriously. #UdtaPM," tweeted Tourendra Modi (@TOURendraModi).

OneIndia News