New Delhi:
Tamil actor Vishal’s claims of corruption at the film censor board have prompted an immediate response from the ruling BJP, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rushing a senior officer to Mumbai to “conduct an inquiry today itself”. The ministry’s Friday afternoon post on was released, to be certified.
The ministry called the allegation “extremely unfortunate”, claiming “zero tolerance” for corruption and asking others who may have been harassed to provide details. “The government will not tolerate corruption and the strictest measures will be taken against all those involved. A senior officer has been deputed to Mumbai to conduct its own investigation today,” the post on X said.
The issue of corruption in CBFC raised by the actor @VishalKOfficial is extremely unfortunate.
The government has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption and the strictest measures will be taken against anyone found to be involved. A senior officer of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting…
— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) September 29, 2023
Last night at 6 pm, Vishal uploaded a nearly four-minute video addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the accompanying post, he named two individuals from the censorship board and shared details about online bank transfers. He claimed that he sent Rs 3 lakh to M Rajan’s Tamilnad Mercantile Bank account and Rs 3.5 lakh to a Kotak Mahendra bank account of Jeeja Ramdas. Both accounts are located in Mumbai.
#Corruption being shown on the silver screen is fine. But not in real life. Can’t digest. Especially in government offices. And even worse happens in it #CBFC Office in Mumbai. Had to pay 6.5 lacs for my movie #MarkAntonyHindi version. 2 transactions. 3 Lakhs for screening and 3.5 Lakhs for… pic.twitter.com/3pc2RzKF6l
— Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) September 28, 2023
“What I am going to say is not about my film but is definitely related to it… this is about the scam that has taken place at the Central Board of Film Certification in Mumbai regarding my film. We have applied for film certification online . . . we had to do it at the last minute due to some technical issues, but we were surprised by what happened,” Vishal began.
“On Monday… when my agent visited the CBFC office, we were given no option but to pay Rs 6.5 lakh to get the certificate by evening. First we were told that we had to pay Rs 3 lakh to get the film to view and then Rs 3.5 lakh for the certificate. This was done by one lady…one Mrs. Mehta,” he said.
The actor said the conversation was recorded – for which he apologized and noted that “it is not in our culture to record, but this was important to tell the world what is happening in CBFC Mumbai”.
“If this is the case for me, what about other people? I was told that those who apply 15 days in advance have to pay Rs 4 lakh for the certificate. I paid Rs 6.5 lakh and got the certificate.”
“My hard-earned money has been spent on corruption… I am not doing this for me or my film, but for future producers. I have only been thinking about what others may have to go through for their films.”
Vishal concluded with a message to Mr Shinde and Prime Minister Modi, explaining that he had the evidence to back up his claims and hoped that action would be taken. “My Honorable Prime Minister has always opposed corruption… all political leaders say so… and this is corruption.”