Censor Board passes film, but holds up its trailer

Music India OnLine: "Even as 'Shobhayatra', a low-budget film based on an award-winning play, is all set to be screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival beginning here from January 6, its Director, Vijat Ghatke, is faced with an unusual problem with the Central Board of Film Certification.

The Censor Board headed by Chairperson Sharmila Tagore had passed the film but refused Certificate to its trailer, saying it was "objectionable". He said examining committee of the Board saw trailer of the movie on December 14 and took exception to what it described as "highly objectionable" excerpts depicting the Father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and hence "unanimously" recommended refusal of certificate to the film.

Mr Ghatke, however, says his film reflects contemporary lives and it's not a historical period film or a farce on our great leaders and freedom fighters. The modern characters in the film assume the roles of the leaders and pretend to be their moral and ethical equals, he explained, adding that these masks are ripped away and they are shown to be unworthy of the sacrifices of our leaders and their vision of a great nation.

He claimed that the trailer shows that the characters are not depictions of great Indian leaders and freedom fighters but ordinary, contemporary persons. In the trailer, the backdrop saw modern accessories like cell-phones and the American girl clearly indicate that the film is not historical. Ghatke said that the trailer of the film has been taken only from shots and soundtrack of the censored version of the film and no uncensored or deleted shots have been used. The trailer clearly conveys the above message of the film and has been made only to inform the audiences. "