While fans are still getting over the frenzy of the Oscars, there is news coming in of a small victory for the 'lady-oriented films'. Recently under the spotlight of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Alankrita Shrivastava's Lipstick Under My Burkha has won the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival in Scotland. The film was awarded the prize on the closing day of the festival in Glasgow on Sunday.
Directed by Shrivastava, Lipstick Under My Burkha stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, Plabita Borthakur and Ahana Kumra in lead roles. The film has already won critical acclaim at the Tokyo International Film Festival and won the Oxfam award for the Best Film on Gender Equality at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2016.
However, the film's theatrical release remains disputed over the refusal of the CBFC to provide a certification for the film. The board had sent out a letter objecting to the film being 'lady-oriented' and having a number of objectionable scenes. The decision arrived even as the director was presenting the film at the Glasgow Film Festival in Scotland. The refusal from the board has come under fire from many prominent members of the film industry. For now, the makers of the film have the choice of approaching the F-CAT tribunal to review the decision.
Kabir Khan, Shyam Benegal join voices against CBFC diktat on Lipstick Under My Burkha
Hopefully, this award-winning run ensures that the buzz for the film and the clamour for its support remains ongoing. If nothing, it might just serve a notice to the CBFC to rethink their way of judging films in India.