Why did Anurag Basu's children's film Jagga Jasoos get U/A certification?

In a repeat of what happened with Walt Disney Pictures' The Jungle Book last year, Disney India's film, Jagga Jasoos, which was aimed at children, has been certified as U/A by the Central Board of Film Certification. It means that children (under the age of 18) will have to be accompanied by an adult. Director Anurag Basu's film was submitted on Thursday, 6 July, and was quickly cleared on Friday without any cuts - one of the fastest clearances by the board.

A source close to Basu was quoted wondering why the board thought it was unsuitable for kids to watch it without adult supervision. There are also questions about why the board passed the film so quickly, without even mulling over the issues they had with the makers.

Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, Jagga Jasoos is a Tintin-esque musical adventure film about a boy who sets out in search of his father. At the trailer launch of the film, Basu had said that he had made the film especially for children. 

“After watching Barfi (his last release) my daughter felt it was an ok film. In fact, every time during their (his children) vacation I show them Hollywood children films because we do not have much children film in Bollywood these days. So, I wanted to make a film that children can enjoy! So I thought I should make a film that kids and family can go and watch and enjoy,” said Basu.

The U/A certification is surely not going to go down well with the director. 

CBFC chief, Pahlaj Nihalani has defended the film's 'U/A' certification, but has refused to divulge the reasons for the decision. “Let the film release. The world will see why we think it is necessary for children to be accompanied by an adult,” he said. 

Last year, when the CBFC had certified The Jungle Book as U/A, Nihalani had said something similar when justifying his decision. "It’s up to parents to decide how much of these effects are suited for their children. Please don't go by the reputation of the book. See the film and then decide on the suitability of the content for kids," Nihalani said. 

Nihalani had also defended the restriction by saying that the 3D effects were scary as the animals seem to jump right at the audience. "It's not just the story that determines certification. It's the overall presentation, the packaging and most important of all, the visual effects used to tell the story. In Jungle Book the jungle animals jumping at the audience in 3D is startling," he said.

Jagga Jasoos has many action-packed and adventurous sequences, and scenes involving animals like lions and ostriches. Wonder what ticked the CBFC off this time around!

Co-produced by Anurag Basu's Ishana Movies and Ranbir Kapoor's Picture Shuru Entertainment, Jagga Jasoos will be released on 14 July.