Even as some argue that skin-show has been a part of our film culture for years, the makers of both the films in question – Koyelaanchal and The Xpose – say they are fine with it.
Asshu Trikha, director of Koyelaanchal, says, "I tried to reason with the censor board that my film is for Adult audience, but they insisted. I have blurred the cleavage (above, right), but it was unnecessary. The character is a prostitute, so her body language and dressing up needs to be the way it is."
Then why didn’t he object? "Because our film went to the review committee and they made those suggestions. My film was slated for release and I didn’t have the time to go to the tribunal and contest their claim." He, however, adds, "They were all really nice and polite. When I offered to slash a few scenes and asked if I would get a Universal certificate, they said it was a nice movie and I should retain the A certificate but just blurr out the cleavage."
The Xpose’s creative producer Rakesh Upadhyay admits that the scene, where an actor is seen in a tranparent white saree, needed censorship. "The scene is inspired from Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978; above left) , but we understand censor’s point. The film is for the universal audience, we were already not sure about that scene. When asked if a scene that got cleared by censors 36-years ago should invite a cut now, he says, "We need not repeat a 36-year-old mistake."
But how will you tackle this?
Even as our Bollywood ladies are instructed by the Censor Board to cover up on-screen, there is no stopping them from flaunting ample amount of skin, off it.
At the red carpets of a recently-held film award show in Florida, US, as well as the ongoing Cannes film fest at the French Riviera, and on a few other red carpets, our Bollywood divas have been spotted of late in risqué tops, flaunting... well, much more than the cleavage. From Kareena Kapoor to Vaani Kapoor and Celina Jaitley, check it out for yourself!
