Censor Board Chief Sharmila Tagore said she was ready to apologise if the sentiments of any community were hurt but stressed there was no reason for a ban.
NEW DELHI: As the Madhuri Dixit starrer 'Aaja Nachle' ran into trouble over some questionable lyrics, Censor Board Chief Sharmila Tagore on Saturday said she was ready to apologise if the sentiments of any community were hurt but stressed there was no reason for the film to be banned.
"The music of the film has been in the market for a long time now, but nobody had registered any complaints. The line has been taken out of context. My committee which had reviewed the film had seen it as a profession-based remark and not a caste-based slight or insult," Tagore said.
She said the lyrics to which objections have been raised were meant in a light-hearted manner. It was felt they could not offend anyone.
"Nevertheless, if somebody has been offended and if any particular community has been hurt then we are prepared to apologise," she said.
Tagore admitted that the line in question, which has been criticised as being insulting to Dalits, was 'slightly overlooked' and some 'miscalculation' was made.
She expressed hope that the controversy would not blow up into a stir.
Tagore welcomed the decision by the filmmakers to voluntarily withdraw the line.
"The state government can ban a film if it creates a law and order problem. But I don't see any reason for any government to ban the film because the questionable line has been removed and I saw the movie myself in a theatre in Mumbai and there was no problem and there were no spontaneous protests anywhere in the country," she said.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary (Home), Uttar Pradesh, JN Chamber said the Censor Board should have taken the controversial lyrics into consideration.
"We have banned the movie in the cities of UP in order to avoid any harm to the law and order situation in the state," he said.
Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have banned the film that was released on Friday.
The makers of the film had last night decided that the objectionable lyrics will be deleted.
"We didn't set out to make a film which would offend any sensibility. It's not our intention to hurt any section of the society. We made the film in good spirit and faith. And if for some reason it offended the sensibilities of some people, then the decision we have taken is we'll delete the line straightway," the film's director Anil Mehta said.
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