Renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently shared an amusing yet revealing story from his early days in the industry. This tale highlights the ongoing struggle between creative freedom and censorship in Indian cinema. He reflected on his experience with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the screening of Ram Gopal Varma’s cult classic Satya. Kashyap explained that he had to bring a Hindi dictionary to clarify the meaning of a controversial word in the film.
The word was ‘chu**’, which Kashyap noted simply means ‘stupid’ or ‘foolish’ in everyday Hindi. However, CBFC officials, many of whom were not native Hindi speakers, misunderstood the term and raised objections, thinking it was a vulgar slur. To address the issue, Kashyap presented a dictionary at the screening. He pointed out that ‘word’ is synonymous with ‘murkh,’ a common Hindi word meaning ‘foolish’ or ‘naive.’ This moment, while funny in hindsight, highlights the filmmaker’s frustration with the lack of understanding often shown by censorship authorities.
Kashyap shared this incident to illustrate how the CBFC’s sensitivity to language can be quite absurd, particularly when it comes to words that are common in Indian vernacular. He emphasized that this experience was not isolated; it reflects a broader trend in his career, during which the CBFC has frequently challenged films over language, context, and content.
Kashyap’s struggle with censorship is well-known. The delayed release of Paanch, which dealt with violence and drug use, is one example. His controversial films like Black Friday and Bombay Velvet have often put him at odds with authorities over what he sees as outdated and inconsistent rules. He criticized the CBFC for imposing unnecessary restrictions on filmmakers, pointing out its failure to understand the nuances of language and context in storytelling.
This latest story adds to Kashyap’s ongoing argument for reforming how cinema is regulated in India. He believes censorship boards need to evolve to recognize the maturity of today’s audiences and give filmmakers the creative freedom to tell their stories without unwarranted interference. Although his dictionary episode from Satya is amusing, it also reflects deeper problems within the Indian censorship system, issues that Kashyap has fought against throughout his career.
