Film-makers Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar have extended their support to the 'Udta Punjab' team amid the Censor Board succumbing to political pressure, thereby suggesting that the Shahid Kapoor-starrer should not be set in the state.
Both Bollywood A-listers took to their respective Twitter handles to share their thoughts on the ongoing controversy.
With a reference to the dictator regime of North Korea, the 'Dev-D' director added his voice to the actors and film-makers, who have accused the Board of interfering with artistic freedom.
"I always wondered what it felt like to live in North Korea .. Ab to plane pakadney ki bhi zaroorat nahin..," Kashyap tweeted.
"There is no film more honest than UDTA PUNJAB .. And any person or party opposing it is actually GUILTY of promoting drugs," he said.
The 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' director on his part said the Bollywood fraternity must stand by what is right.
"#UdtaPunjab speaks of the reality of our times....censoring reality amounts to delusion.....the fraternity has to stand by what's right!!" wrote KJo.
The ongoing censor issue just got political as the Censor Board doesn't want the movie to be set in Punjab.
After Censor Board refused to issue a certificate to the Abhishek Chaubey-directed film, the Revising Committee of Censor Board has now given even harsher suggestions to the makers, in order to obtain the certificate.
Recommendations/Objections of the Reviewing Committee have assumed political overtones.
It is being reported that the committee wants the film to be set in a fictional land rather than in Punjab and is demanding a lot of cuts, which are against the "reality" of the movie.
Strangely, the Reviewing Committee is taking a view that the flick, which is based on the growing drug addiction among the youth, is defamatory to Punjab.
Earlier also, the ruling party in Punjab, Akali Dal, had objected to the movie. Sources close to the censors indicate towards political pressure being put in the wake of Punjab elections slated to happen early next year.
Co-produced by Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures, 'Udta Punjab,' a highly talked about movie that is being keenly anticipated by a large section of youth, also stars Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh.
It is slated to release on June 17, but is likely to get delayed.
Source: ANI
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