A Conversation With: Film Censor Board Chief Executive, Pankaja Thakur Pankaja Thakur is the chief executive of the Central Board of Film Certification, commonly known as the Censor Board of India. The post of chief executive, who administers the board, has been vacant for more than a decade until Ms.Thakur was appointed in 2010. A bureaucrat with the Indian customs agency, Ms. Thakur has headed assignments like screening baggage at the Mumbai international airport. She spoke to India Ink at the board's headquarters in Mumbai to shed light on the current state of film censorship in India. Which films have been banned by the censor board lately? The word banned is never used. We could issue a rejection certificate, but that's not rejection per se. If filmmakers are dissatisfied with cuts demanded or the rating granted by the board's examining committee, they can appeal to a revising committee where more members review the film. If still unhappy, they can approach the Appellate Tribunal, and thereafter the courts. Prakash Jha's political film "Raajneeti" (2010) was cleared by the Appellate Tribunal. Shekhar Kapur's "Bandit Queen" (1996) was finally passed by the Supreme Court. About 90 percent movies get cleared without a problem by the examining committee itself. How about Ashvin Kumar's recent documentary "Inshallah, Football" - wasn't that reportedly banned? Contrary to public perception created by the filmmaker for pure publicity, "Inshallah, Football" was not banned. It was granted an "A" certificate [adults only] by the Censor Board. The theme wasn't considered appropriate for children. The filmmaker is free to show his film at colleges and various other public forums where entry is restricted for kids. Are there separate Censor Board guidelines for foreign or Hollywood films, given their audiences are usually different? The interpretable guidelines are the same. But we do keep in mind the cultural context of countries the films come from. This helps in certifying, say, films like "Black Swan," "Cabin in the Woods" or even "No Strings Attached." How about David Fincher's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"? It wasn't allowed into Indian theaters. Again, I heard and read about this only in the press. The examining committee had suggested certain cuts for the film. The filmmakers could've easily got back to us for a review as others do. But they decided to seek media mileage and publicity instead. The Censor Board gets a lot of hate mail from various pressure groups. Does that bother you? Sadly, we don't receive any letters of support or appreciation from the public. But we do reply to all letters of complaints. It's our job. There is a general culture of intolerance all around us. Back in the day, when Hindi films used to show flowers instead of human beings kissing, you could subjectively portray communities or have a song like "Monica Darling" and no one would complain. Now, if a song mentions "Sheela" or "Munni," everyone with that name feels they've been harassed by it. What about the Censor Board's general lenience with violence compared with sexual content in films? The situation might be the reverse in the U.S., where guns are easily available, campus shootouts are an issue. Unlike here, a hard-core Bollywood action flick like "Force" would never be allowed to play on American television without modifications to suit children. In a conservative society like India, parents are more sensitive toward sexual content. They take it more seriously. Recent Unpopular Censor Board Decisions: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo": Censor Board's examining committee demanded cuts in the film over frontal nudity and sexual content. According to local media reports, the board wanted to cut two sex scenes between the lead characters Lisbeth (Rooney Mara) and Mikael (Daniel Craig); a lesbian scene featuring Lisbeth and a girl she meets at the bar; and a brutal rape. Sony Pictures chose not to release the film in India. "The Dirty Picture": The board orders 52 cuts, totaling about seven minutes, for the prime-time TV broadcast of this popular National Award-winning film loosely based on the life of an actor of B-grade movies. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court asks the board to review its decision given that the film was originally rated "A." The film hasn't been allowed on TV yet. Anti-smoking warning in a song: In the hit song "Chikni Chameli" from the film "Agneepath," a warning against the dangers of smoking appears at the bottom of the cinema screen every time the actress Katrina Kaif lip-syncs to the words, "Beedi chillum jalaane aayee. I've come to light up beedis and pipes.