Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani wants Prakash Jha to edit the word 'saala' 70 times from 'Jai Gangaajal'

New Delhi: In one of the strongest attacks made against the Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani, noted film maker Prakash Jha has accused him of not understanding cinema at all.

For the uninitiated, Censor Board chief Nihalani wants Jha to edit the word ‘saala’ 70 times from his forthcoming film ‘Jai Gangaajal’ which features Priyanka Chopra in the lead role. The Censor Board chief appointed himself as the chairman of a revision committee set up at the insistence of Jha. The committee came up with even stringent sanctions against the film.

While speaking to CNN IBN, Jha said, “Nihalani doesn't understand the nuances of cinema. My earlier films have had more cuss words, there was no trouble then. Nihalani, out to settle his own personal agenda, is detrimental to the entertainment industry. Cinema is about capturing local ethos, Nihalani doesn't understand this. Nihalani was unwilling even to set up a committee. He told me he was in Delhi for a wedding. Shows how serious he is about his job."

Nihalani reacted to Jha’s comments by saying, “I have cleared the film. What is he complaining about? He wanted U/A certficate. Therefore, we had to make cuts. If he wanted A certificate, we would not have made a single cut. He can go to tribunal if he is not happy. I can't react on decisions I took on each and every film. Jha is doing this for publicity. I stand by my decision. It's not just ‘saala’ but several other cuss words were cut. Who is he to decide ‘saala’ is not an abuse? He insisted only Ashok Pandit watched the movie so that it gets cleared. How can I allow that? Therefore, I headed the review committee and it's my job."