One of the things that filmmaker M.B. Padmakumar remembers from several interactions with Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) officials for the certification of his upcoming film Token Number is the lack of any official communication regarding the alleged issues related to the film. Although his film was cleared by the regional office of the CBFC, censor officials from the CBFC headquarters in Mumbai refused to certify the film until he changed the name of either of the protagonists - Janaki and Abraham.
“All the communication regarding the name change happened informally. If the Chairperson had any objection, the CBFC should have put it down in writing. When I asked the officials, they said that there would be no such official communication. Later, I was informed that the CEO will call me, but this call was through WhatsApp to prevent call recording,” Mr. Padmakumar tells The Hindu. Mr. Padmakumar himself was part of the CBFC regional committee until two months ago.
The filmmaker went public with his ordeal only after the controversy broke out on Saturday over the CBFC demanding the makers of the film JSK - Janaki Vs State of Kerala, starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi, to change the title of the film. Both films faced an issue over the name ‘Janaki’. Mr. Padmakumar’s film explores the unlikely friendship between 65-year old Janaki and 72-year old Abraham. “Janaki breaks out of the behaviour that the society expects from a senior citizen, who is not supposed to have any dream of her own. Abraham also finds himself in the same boat. The film explores what happens when they meet each other by chance,” he says.
