‘A’ certificate for ‘Aakrosh’ leaves Priyadarshan fuming

MUMBAI - The censor board’s decision to award an ‘Adults Only’ certificate to “Aakrosh” has not gone down well with the film’s director Priyadarshan.

Priyadarshan, currently shooting in London for producer Ratan Jain’s thriller “Tezz”, feels that the youth of the country need to understand the topical issue of honour killing, on which his film is based.

The film’s producer Kumar Mangat, initially opposed to the numerous cuts ordered by the board, had quietly accepted the decision this time, apparently without consulting the film’s director.

Priyadarshan, however, was adamant that the film get an ‘UA’ certification, which would have made “Aakrosh” accessible to a wider audience.

“I think children must see the film and understand what gruesome and barbaric practices are prevalent in some parts of the country. Of course, “Aakrosh” is violent at times. But are not the kids subjected to violence when they watch news on television?”

Producer Kumar Mangat has another story to tell. “The censor board had ordered 30 cuts for “Aakrosh” to avoid an ‘Adults’ rating. If we had complied, the film would have been mutilated and disjointed. We preferred to accept the ‘A’ certificate instead, making just two cuts.”

Two references to caste differences have been cut from the dialogues.

“I don’t think it was a big sacrifice to make. These cuts don’t make any difference to the storytelling,” Mangat said.