Shubh Mangal Savdhan was one of the first films to be submitted to the Censor Board after it recently underwent a change in regime
The subject of erectile dysfunction and the humour around it in director RS Prasanna’s upcoming romantic-comedy Shubh Mangal Savdhan surely had people anticipate a tussle between the film and the controversy-ridden CBFC, but putting to rest all such apprehensions, the Censor Board, now led by Prasoon Joshi, has cleared the film without any cut.
The movie, starring Ayushmaan Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles, has received U/A certificate. It is one of the first films to be submitted to the Censor Board after it recently underwent a change in regime. While Pahlaj Nihalani, the man known for getting upset with kissing scenes beyond a specific duration and words such as ‘intercourse’, resigned as the Chairman of the board last month, noted lyricist-screenwriter Prasoon Joshi was appointed as his replacement. The board also got new members, including actor Vidya Balan and director Vivek Agnihotri.
Ecstatic with the U/A certificate, director Prasanna told indianexpress.com, “I am very happy. This shows that what we have been promising in the promotions, it is indeed a family entertainer, a very clean film. We are very lucky. I am personally blessed that the censor board saw the film for its intention and gave a certificate, which is a representative of the film.”
The film, produced by Anand L Rai, is a remake of the Tamil comedy Kalyana Samayal Sadham, also directed by Prasanna. The film will open in theatres this Friday. Prasanna said that while people around him feared about the film’s prospects as the CBFC was then chaired by Nihalani, he was sure that the board would understand the intention behind the movie.
“We, as filmmakers, are quite aware about the realities around us but I, as a person don’t get into second guessing things. I know for a fact that this would happen. I was very confident that once anybody sees the film, they will see it for what it is. So, that thought never crossed my mind. I have been very lucky throughout with whatever I wanted. This is just an extension to that. I don’t know if this can be attributed to anything else.”
The director believes the fact that the film got passed without any cut, in a way, shows that the CBFC could see his point that Indian families are becoming more open to talk about sex and sex-related problems.
“I do know that the censor board members are the same, the ones, who watched our film, are the same as before (in the Nihalani-led board). And with this film, the censor board has been quite supportive to my request as a filmmaker that India is changing, the families are changing and as long as we talk about serious issues like this with humour…. With a U/A certificate and absolutely no cut, they have been extremely gracious and (it shows) that they have seconded that the film is clean and today to talk about sex, you don’t have to push it under the carpet, that my film is not vulgar and it is made with a lot of honesty about something, which today families are willing to discuss,” he said.
