Ekta Kapoor Turns Presenter for ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’

Alankrita Shrivastava’s controversy-ridden film is set to release next month.

A poster of Lipstick Under My Burkha. (Photo courtesy: Facebook)

The controversy-ridden Lipstick Under My Burkha finally has a release date in India. The film, directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Ratna Pathak Shah among others, will now release on 28 July.

The film had been denied certification by the CBFC for months till the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) directed the Censor Board to grant an 'A' certificate to the film.

Also read: Grant ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ an A Certificate: FCAT to CBFC

What’s more, Ekta Kapoor has now come on board as presenter and distributor for Lipstick Under My Burkha - which will ensure that the film reaches a large audience. Producer Prakash Jha invited Ekta to watch the movie and she says that she was “blown away”.

Ekta is someone who has always done some path-breaking work and with a lot of her women characters, she’s inverted the power structure on television, making the woman protagonist the epicentre of power. She’s a strong and dynamic studio head. In that sense she has a strong feminist pulse and I was very keen to know what she felt. And as soon as she finished watching it, she told me she and her studio wanted to present it to a much wider audience. I thought it would be fantastic for the film.

Prkash Jha, Producer, <i>Lipstick Under My Burkha</i>

I entered the screening knowing I was going to watch a well-appreciated film, but not only was I totally blown away by the content, I felt it was both credible and entertaining. Rarely do we have credible entertainers that stimulate the mind and are peppered with spunk and humour. <i>Lipstick Under My Burkha</i> signifies a rebellion of the mind and is a film that celebrates women and their sexuality.

Ekta Kapoor, Presenter-Distributor

Ekta also shared her excitement on Instagram saying that she hasn’t been this excited about a film since LSD.

The CBFC had earlier refused to certify the film because, among other things, it was “lady oriented”. It didn’t matter that the film has been winning accolades the world over.

The story is lady oriented, their fantasy above life. There are contanious sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film refused under guidelines 1(a), 2(vii), 2(ix), 2(x), 2(xi), 2(xii) and 3(i). (sic)

Central Board of Film Certification

CBFC’s letter to Prakash Jha Productions refusing to certify Lipstick Under My Burkha. 

Also Read: CBFC Doesn’t Approve ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’, Alankrita Reacts