Ok Jaanu passes censor test, gets cleared with a 'U/A' certificate and four verbal cuts
Shaadi Ali's romantic comedy Ok Jaanu has passed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) filters with just four verbal cuts and a U/A certificate.
The film being based on the concept of live-in relationship, the CBFC cleared it with just four minor alterations in dialogue. This comes as a surprise since the current CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani is known for his 'sanskari' take on Hindi cinema.
However, Nihalani had earlier stated that the co-producer of Ok Jaanu, Karan Johar, had little to fear as the CBFC chief promised to ensure a fair screening of the film. He also cleared the air about the deletion of kissing scenes involving Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Johar's directorial from last year, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
He has given another statement on similar lines on the certification of Ok Jaanu. DNA quotes him as saying, "The times are changing. At one time couples couldn’t even meet before marriage. Now, they get a chance to spend time with one another to know whether they are compatible or not. That’s a social reality. We must recognise and respect the changes in social mores.”
While his statement holds true, it was barely two years ago when filmmaker Mani Ratnam's Tamil romantic comedy Ok Kanmani, now being remade in Hindi as Ok Jaanu, had to go through a bumpy road for a wholesome release. The makers faced issues with the Censor Board and had to turn to the Revising Committee to get the film cleared.
Ok Jaanu is not the first Hindi film based on cohabitation as Siddharth Anand's 2005 romantic comedy Salam Namaste was the first film to explore the concept in depth. However, since it was set in Australia, it managed to pass the scissors with little effort.
Another film that revolved around live-in relationship was Maneesh Sharma's 2013 romantic comedy Shuddh Desi Romance which was set in the tier-2 city of Jaipur. That film also passed the censor screening but Nihalani had not been appointed as the chief back then.
Ever since he took over the office in 2015, he has been criticised for his overindulgence in censorship. He was the center of criticism last year when he cleared Abhishek Chaubey's film Udta Punjab with 89 cuts and an 'A' certificate. However, cine goers saw some hope last month when he cleared Aditya Chopra's bold romantic comedy Befikre without any cuts.
Ok Jaanu stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Shraddha Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and the former CBFC chief Leela Samson. It is co-produced by Johar's Dharma Productions and Ratnam's Madras Talkies. It is slated to release on 13 January.