As protests mount against Indu Sarkar, Madhur Bhandarkar readies to get an all-clear from Tribunal

16 Sep 2017

Controversy, protests, and political pressure notwithstanding, it looks like Madhur Bhandarkar is all set for a victory over the censor board. His much in-the-news Emergency-based drama Indu Sarkar which was refused clearance by the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) has now gone to the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal, also known as the Tribunal, where all beleaguered films find their nirvana. Though the Tribunals verdict on Indu Sarkar is not yet known, it is reliably learnt that the Tribunal is expected to certify the film with a few token cuts, thereby ending Bhandarkars month-long pro-freedom agitation as Congress workers protested about the films alleged anti-Gandhi content. In fact on Monday afternoon, a large group of Congress workers descended on the CBFC office in Mumbai demanding the films ban. But we explained patiently to them that the film is no longer with us and that its gone to the Tribunal. The Congress protesters took this information sensibly. They submitted a memorandum asking for the films ban and left. Not once was the protestors attitude aggressive or overbearing, says the CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani.In the meanwhile the Congress protests against Indu Sarkar not only appear premature but also misguided because according to sources in the know, nobody from the Congress is mentioned by name in the film, not even Mrs Indira Gandhi. The actress playing the Indira lookalike is shown in just 2-3 shots.