Swaroop had appealed to the FCAT after Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) refused to clear The Battle of Banaras in August last year.
Dance for Democracy/ The Battle of Banaras, a documentary film made on the big electoral fight of 2014 Lok Sabha elections between the then BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has failed to get clearance from the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).
Made by well-known documentary film-maker Kamal Swaroop who assisted director Richard Attenborough in the filming of Gandhi (1982), The Battle of Banaras is a two-hour-14-minute long documentary film. Shot in 45 days, it captures the mood of Banaras during 2014 Lok Sabha elections from the time of filing of nominations to the announcement of final result.
Swaroop had appealed to the FCAT after Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) refused to clear The Battle of Banaras in August last year.
However, despite feelers that the film will not face total axe and might be allowed screening with a few cuts, the FCAT upheld the decision of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) given in August last year. To the dismay of many critics, like the CBFC, the FCAT also found The Battle of Banaras inflammatory and unfit for public viewing.
The FCAT, a quasi-judicial body headed by former Delhi high court judge, Justice S K Mahajan had reviewed the film last week in the presence of its producer Kamal Swaroop, sources said.
Dismissing the appeal, FCAT is understood to have said in its order that it is of the opinion that the CBFC was justified in refusing to grant certification to the film. The FCAT also justified CBFC reasoning that had found the theme of film to be full of hate/inflammatory speeches given by all political parties and tried to divide people on caste and communal lines.
The body also sided with the CBFC's opinion that derogatory remarks have been made against individuals and the release of the film may cause not only communal disharmony but also disharmony amongst the members of different castes and communities.
The FCAT decision, however, can be challenged in the high court if the director so desires.
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