Documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma and veteran actor Anupam Kher are locked in a fight on social media over the former’s Gujarat riots documentary Final Solution.
Mr. Sharma alleged that as former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson, Kher banned his documentary by not giving it a clearance during the BJP-led NDA regime. He claims the documentary was finally cleared only when the Congress-led UPA coalition came in power.
“Final Solution was cleared on October 7, 2004, when the UPA was in power, not as Anupam Kher claims during the BJP regime!,” Rakesh tweeted.
“It was cleared by a panel headed by Shyam Benegal, with 3-4 members. Anupam ‘banned’ it through a charade earlier,” he added.
Mr. Kher, who was the chairperson of the board from 16 October 2003 to 13 October 2004, has denied Sharma’s allegations insisting the movie was passed under his tenure and that Mr. Sharma had even thanked him for that.
“Have been reading Rakesh Sharma’s response to my interviews to news channels about his documentary film Final Solution. He is lying. He says I, as a chairman of Censor Board, didn’t pass his documentary. UPA did. Easiest thing is to do is find out the proof from CB,” Kher wrote.
“I as a Chairman saw his documentary and passed it without any cuts. Censor board has the proof. In fact Rakesh Sharma thanked me for passing his documentary. I feel sorry for him. Calling me a liar without any proof is a cowardly act,” he added.
