The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Thursday said it has not refused the certification of a film and its trailer titled "Bahattar Hoorain (72 Hoorain)". "Misleading reports are being circulated in certain sections of media that a film and its trailer titled “Bahattar Hoorain (72 Hoorain) has been refused certification by Central Board of Film Certification," said the film certification board said in a press release.
The board has clarified that the film "Bahattar Hoorain (72 Hoorain)" was granted an 'A' certification on October 4, 2019. "The trailer of the film is currently undergoing the necessary process, as it was submitted to the CBFC on June 19, 2023, and assessed in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Cinematograph Act, 1952, Section SB(2)."
"The applicant was requested to provide the required documentation, and upon receipt, certification was granted with certain modifications. A show cause notice, outlining the modifications, was issued to the applicant/filmmaker on June 27, 2023, and their response/compliance is awaited. Thus any misleading reports may not be entertained or circulated hereinafter when the matter is under due process," CBFC added.
Ashoke Pandit, co-producer of '72 Hoorain', on Tuesday said the censor board had refused to give a certificate to the trailer of the movie set for release on July 7.
Pandit shared a video on his Instagram expressing shock and disbelief over the rejection of the certificate for the trailer from the CBFC. "In a surprising turn of events, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has refused the trailer of the highly anticipated National Award-winning film, 72 Hoorain. This decision has sent shockwaves through the film industry and sparked debates surrounding creative freedom and censorship," Pandit had said.
In the video, Pandit also made an appeal to Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and Prasoon Joshi, the chairperson of the CBFC. He urged them to take action against those individuals within the censor body who are attempting to undermine "our creative independence and freedom of expression".
The movie, directed by two-time National Award Winner Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, was slated to release on July 7. It has been produced by Gulab Singh Tanwar, Kiran Dagar, and Anirudh Tanwar and is co-produced by Ashoke Pandit.
'72 Hoorain' made its debut at the Indian Panorama section during the 2019 International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa, where it garnered special recognition with the ICFT-UNESCO GANDHI MEDAL Special Mention. In 2021, Chauhan's exceptional direction in the film was acknowledged and honored with the National Film Award for Best Direction.