Makers of Arvind Kejriwal documentary to seek legal help

Directors will decide next course of action to get certificate for their documentary

Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla approached the Censor Board of Film Certification to get a valid corticated for their documentary to release it in India. However they claimed that they have been told to get No Objection Certificate from Arvind Kejriwal, Sheila Dixit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Vinay says, “We approached the examining committee in February this year. After the screening we were just informed that they will send us a letter and lets us know what all objections they have. They informed us a week later stating that the chairman of the board, Pehlaj Nihalani has refered your film to revising committee without giving us any reason. It was bit surprising. It is an expensive process and if they are expecting us to do show it again and again without giving us any proper reasons then it is not fair. We tried to reach Pehlaj Nihalani and he told us that he is not obliged to give us answers. He said we can go and speak to the media. He called his office boy and told him to take us out of his office. We then applied for revising committee screening. Pehlaj saw the film in the second committee; they have come out with this diktat that they will pass the film only if we get NOCs from Kejriwal, Sheila Dixit and PM Modi. They have told us since we have shown these people in the film we have to get their NOC’s. It is a journalistic documentary.”

Khushboo informs that their documentary on Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi party has been screened at nearly 40 film festival including Toronto and has got good response too. “It is a non fictional political thriller. We followed AAP and Kerjiwal from formation of their party till he became a CM. There are no interviews or voiceover in it. The footage is about their political life. It is not a sting operation. It is a cinematic documentary. We have taken footage with their knowledge in some situation and some portion we have used from press conferences or from public speeches. When we shot this document we had told them that you won’t have any say in it. So there is question of asking anybody’s permission. They can challenge us on facts; if we have shown wrong then it is a valid objection. But they have not said that. Our documentary features PM but we have used a portion whatever has already been broadcast.”

The director duo is going to meet their legal team soon as their next course of action. Khushboo says, “We will either go to court or FCAT (Film Certification Appellate Tribunal). We will properly plan out our move with help of our lawyers. It is expensive.