Pahlaj Nihalani reveals why Censor Board passed controversial Oscar film 'Spotlight' without cuts

Spotlight, the hardhitting film that tells the traumatic story of a true-life Roman Catholic priest who sexually abused over 80 young children, has just been cleared  by the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC).

Most surprisingly, the film has been passed with no cuts. Spotlight comes at  a time when the  trial of the priest Father Johnson Lawrence, accused of sexual abuse of a 13-year old boy, occupies centrestage in Mumbai.

Says Pahlaj Nihalani, “We are deeply impressed by the film’s commitment to throwing open the doors to reveal the dangers that lurk for young innocent children who don’t even understand what wrong is being done to them.”
In fact, the CBFC apparently deliberated with the idea of certifying the film for all ages.

Says Nihalani, “We believe children need  to know about the dangers they may face, especially sexual predators. However, the content of Spotlight would be too disturbing for young minds. So we have passed the film with an ‘Adults’ certificate and no cuts.”

The CBFC is ready to face a huge backlash from the Roman Catholic community. Apparently, there was pressure to ban the film in India. So much so, that the Indian distributors (Sony Pictures) did not announce a release date until the film was censored.

Says Nihalani, “Let them question us as to why we’ve passed Spotlight. We’ve the answers. This is about the safety of our children.”