Shyam Benegal-led panel will do something substantial: Shabana Azmi

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has welcomed the government's decision to introduce a new panel to be headed by filmmaker Shyam Benegal to look into the revamp of the censor board and hoped that something substantial will come out.

The 65-year-old actress, who made her Bollywood debut with Benegal's Ankur, said she is hopeful that the panel will upgrade the guidelines of the controversy-ridden board.

"It's a very welcome decision by the government. People in the panel are not BJP supporters in that sense and I really hope that something substantial will come out," she said. 

The National-award winning actress was in the capital to promote her upcoming film Chalk n Duster along with co-star Juhi Chawla. Shabana requested that the new panel should look at the recommendations suggested by the committee headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal.

"My request is before this there was a Justice Mudgal Committee that looked at the Cinematography Act and did a lot of recommendations. So, this present body should look at those recommendations. I feel, the act is very outdated we just need to upgrade that first."

The Central Board of Film Certification has been marred with controversy for some time now, owing to its decision from cutting scenes in films like NH 10 and Dum Laga Ke Haisha to shortening a kiss in Spectre.