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Home » Culture » Twitter hits Pahlaj Nihalani for a six over Udta Punjab
 

Twitter hits Pahlaj Nihalani for a six over Udta Punjab

Sahil Bhalla | Updated on: 8 June 2016, 17:53 IST
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While filmmakers of Udta Punjab and Censor Board are locked in a tussle, Twitter has a field day

Udta Punjab. What can be said about the film that hasn't already been said? The film, starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Diljit Dosanjh, as it stands, hasn't been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). From the time of the first meet of the Censor Board, till today, the producers have been asked to make 40 cuts, then 89 and then Pahlaj Nihalani himself said that 73% of the movie has been cleared.

The movie, about the prevelant drug problem in the the state of Punjab, went from the CBFC to the Revising Committee. It's become a political battle with the upcoming Punjab Elections in 2017. In fact, reports have suggested that the BJP government is banning the movie because they want to "save the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) - BJP combine government in the state, from embarrassment in the poll year".

There was a 'suggestion' made by the Censor Board to the filmmakers that along with the 89 cuts, they also remove any reference to Punjab from the movie. Now, short of shooting the movie over again, that isn't possible.

Anurag Kashyap went on a rant on Twitter (http://www.catchnews.com/bollywood-news/udta-punjab-anurag-kashyap-says-bjp-govt-messing-with-the-wrong-person-1465355419.html) and given many a interview to news channels.

If all of that wasn't enough, the filmmakers had to approach the Bombay High Court for clearance. If that fails, the next step is the Supreme Court. On the afternoon of 8 June, a group of filmmakers - Zoya Akthar, Mukesh Bhatt, Satish Kaushik, Ekta Kapoor, Imtiaz Ali and others - held a press conference in Bombay to adress the issue. As NDTV's ticker ran, "Filmmakers back Kashyap."

Slated to release on 17 June, it is looking increasingly likely that the movie's date will have to be pushed back. News18 had reported that the movie was apparently being pushed back to 15 July. Or maybe, Narendra Modi, upon his return from the meeting his best friend forever Barack Obama, might just address this issue and end the controversy once and for all.

Amidst all this, Twitter users have been having a lot of fun with various trends - #UdtaPunjab, #UdtaPM, #PahlajNihalini, #UdtaPunjabCensored, #BombayHighCourt, #ZoyaAkthar, 'We support Udta Punjab', 73%, 89, Justice for Udta Punjab and many more.

Here are some of the best tweets from each of the trends:

1. #UdtaPunjab

2. #UdtaPM:

Yes, this wasn't directly related to the movie, but it was a perfect trend for Modi's nth tour abroad.

3. Pahlaj Nihalini

4. #UdtaPunjabCensored

5. 73%

6. 89

First published: 8 June 2016, 17:53 IST
Udta Punjab Bollywood Bollywood News Punjab drugs drug Shahid Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Alia Bhatt Diljit Dosanjh
 
Sahil Bhalla @IMSahilBhalla

Sahil is a correspondent at Catch. A gadget freak, he loves offering free tech support to family and friends. He studied at Sarah Lawrence College, New York and worked previously for Scroll. He selectively boycotts fast food chains, worries about Arsenal, and travels whenever and wherever he can. Sahil is an unapologetic foodie and a film aficionado.
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