Parvin Dabas edits scenes hours before film release

Mumbai, Aug 19 (IANS) It has been a harrowing week for Parvin Dabas who had to run from pillar-to-post to get a censor board clearance for his film 'Sahi Dhandhe, Galat Bande'.

Hours before its release Friday, the new producer-director and the not-so-old actor was apparently asked to delete all references to a particular politician and his ideology.

'I've had to make some cuts. They (censor board) felt some lines were similar to what an actual politician has said,' Parvin said.

Parvin had to make the necessary changes at the eleventh hour, editing out the politician's character.

'The prints were ready to be dispatched across the world. Only the censor certificate was awaited. But until Wednesday there was no sign of the censor clearance. Parvin was in a state of suppressed hysteria,' said a friend.

Till Wednesday, Parvin was on tenterhooks waiting for a signature on the censor certificate for his film.

He finally got a relief when that elusive certificate was obtained Wednesday afternoon.

Until then all the prints of his debut venture were frozen in their tracks.

'Sahi Dhandhe, Galat Bande' offended the censor board because of a real life character of a politician in the film.

Politics and politicians still seem unacceptable as fodder for cinema, at least to the censor board.

To no one's surprise, the actor-turned-director found his directorial debut in a bit of a fix.

Says a source, 'The politician in the film resembles the real-life politician in all detail. But most of all, it's the politician's words that are a dead giveaway. They are an exact replica of what the real-life politician said in speeches.'

A special screening in Delhi for dignitaries had to be cancelled Tuesday night. But Parvin is not complaining.

'The important thing is, I can release my film now. The censor certificate got delayed because of a minor glitch - our fault entirely,' he said.

Then he blurts out, 'I've been through a lot. I'm just happy that my film could be released on time.'