FCAT directs CBFC to certify Lipstick Under My Burkha within 7 days

In an order dated 26 May 2017, the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) has directed Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a certification within a week for the film Lipstick Under My Burkha. The critically-acclaimed film starring Konkona Sensharma and Ratna Pathak Shah has been seen around the world in film festivals, but has yet to release in its home country due to the legal hassles of certification.

The FCAT had asked the CBFC to issue an ‘A’ certificate to the film on 18 April and no action had been taken by the CBFC after that. The producer of Lipstick Under My Burkha, Prakash Jha, had submitted the film to be viewed by the CBFC on 1 May. However, the delay in certification still persisted.

The FCAT asked the CBFC to explain themselves over the delay and no one from organisation showed up for the hearing, leading the FCAT to enter an ultimatum.

Jha said, “Since the CBFC was not issuing the certificate, we had to approach the FCAT again. I’m glad the FCAT has directed the CBFC to issue the certification to the film within the week. We will be announcing the release date soon.”

Writer-director Alankrita Shrivastava spoke out about the unfair delay, “These are pressure tactics by the CBFC. They are once again trying to do their best to stifle the voices of women. Because the FCAT has pointed out that the CBFC cannot deny certification to a film because it is “lady-oriented”, the CBFC is just delaying the process. But it has been weeks. And we have been waiting to get the certification in hand so we can announce a release date. We first applied for the censor certificate at the end of December. It is now almost June. Who is going to pay for the delay of five months?”