Smriti Irani asked me to pass Indu Sarkar without cuts, alleges Pahlaj Nihalani

Days after being removed as the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Pahlaj Nihalani has made some sensational allegations against the central government. In an interview with Lehren, he has claimed to have been forced to clear Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar without any cuts. He believes the film to be the reason for his removal. 

“Indu Sarkar was the main issue. And Smriti Irani is always an issue. She has shown her presence in whichever ministry she goes. She has dominated. And here I was completely in the media, so how much time will it take to throw me out?” he said. 

He revealed his conversation with Irani over the matter. “Finally, she told me, ‘Why are you not clearing the film Indu Sarkar without cuts?’ I said I will go with the procedure. But right now the film is with the tribunal. So clear it from them,” he said. 

When asked whether he thinks Indu Sarkar is the main reason for his removal, he said, “I think so because their ego wasn’t fulfilled. And she (Irani) wants to show her presence in the I & B (Information and Broadcast) ministry. And who can be a bigger target than me in the I & B ministry? So the reason for my removal is that I didn’t listen to her and did not clear Indu Sarkar without cuts. She is a powerful minister and she knows the industry more than me.” 

Indu Sarkar makes a scathing political statement against the Congress leaders of the 1975 era for enforcing Emergency in the country. The party has been an arch rival of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and director Bhandarkar and Anupam Kher (one of the cast members) have shown close affiliation with the BJP. 

Watch the interview: