‘Befikre’ Kisses Passed by CBFC Without Cuts, Pahlaj Tells Us Why

Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor’s ‘Befikre’ kisses are left untampered by the CBFC.

The Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) eagerly awaited verdict on the  ceaseless smooching spree between Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor in Aditya Chopra’s Befikre, is out.

The  film was certified by the CBFC on Tuesday with a ‘UA’ certificate. Miraculously, the myriad kisses remained untouched. To have kept them all (approximately 40 of them, if one was to count), is a revolutionary step for the CBFC. The censor board has come down heavily on kissing scenes in the recent past, especially in the two Ranbir Kapoor films Tamasha and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Is this a sign of changing times?

CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani explains:

Firstly, there is a difference in the intention and purpose of the kisses in Befikre, and the ones you mention in the earlier films (Tamasha & Ae Dil Hai Mushkil). Those earlier kisses were very intimate and sexual in nature, and were also shot in lingering close-ups. In Befikre, the kisses are used as signs of affection warmth and kinship. And they are not shot in close-ups. That makes a helluva difference in terms of impact.

Pahlaj Nihalani, CBFC Chief

The  censor chief also makes a pointed reference at the global nature of Aditya Chopra’s romance. “I feel Befikre reflects a global attitude to public affection. Aditya Chopra has made a film that will appeal to young people across the world, regardless of creed, class, culture, colour and race. In that sense Befikre is not reflective of Indian values per se. It’s not a mirror of the Indian middle class sanskaar. It’s more about how the young, even young Indians, behave when they are abroad and are brought up with different values.”

The Parisian set up serves as an immunity to what would otherwise be considered ‘improper’ behaviour.

Mr Nihalani explains further, “See, in India kissing in public is still taboo. But in Paris, it’s openly done. It’s an accepted form of affection, not just for couples in love, but also as a form of greeting between two friends when they meet. We can’t apply our own cultural rules to people outside.”