Key facts
- Kashyap alleges Prasoon Joshi did not watch Satluj before blocking it
- Film Satluj has been banned by the CBFC
- Prasoon Joshi is chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification
Anurag Kashyap has launched a pointed attack on Prasoon Joshi, the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification, claiming that Joshi had not even watched the film Satluj before objecting to it and effectively causing its ban. 'Prasoon Joshi has not seen Satluj, but has problems with it,' Kashyap said, in remarks that swiftly drew attention across the film industry.
The allegation, if accurate, would amount to a serious procedural failure at India's apex film certification body. Kashyap, one of Hindi cinema's most vocal advocates for creative freedom, has long been a critic of what he views as arbitrary and politically motivated censorship. His latest salvo suggests that the ban on Satluj was handed down without the board's chairman engaging directly with the film's content.
The CBFC has not publicly responded to Kashyap's charge. Prasoon Joshi, a lyricist and advertising veteran appointed to head the board, has in the past emphasised a balanced approach to certification. But Kashyap's accusation cuts through that framing, implying that decision-making at the top level of the board can be detached from the actual viewing experience.
The row over Satluj adds to a growing list of films that have faced certification hurdles in recent years, prompting recurring calls from filmmakers for a more transparent, rules-bound process. For Kashyap, however, the fight is far from over — his parting words underlined the defiance: 'Ladai aage tak ladni hai.'