India film censors ban movie for being 'lady oriented'

An award-winning Indian film with a feminist slant has been refused a certificate by the Indian censors. In a letter to the producers of Lipstick Under My Burkha, the Central Board of Film Certification denied the film a certificate because “the story is lady oriented … there are sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch [sic] about one particular section of society”. Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, Lipstick Under My Burkha describes itself as a story about “four feisty women in small-town India [who] try to chase their little dreams and desires through secret acts of rebellion”, and has won awards at the Tokyo and Mumbai film festivals. Shrivastava responded by saying: “The CBFC’s decision is an anachronism.” In an interview with the Quint she added: “Why should a film that tells a story of female desire be stifled? Don’t women have dreams? Why is it okay for women to be shown as mere objects of male fantasy, but not women with agency over themselves? It is about the continued stifling of women’s voices in our country.” Shrivastava also said she would be appealing against the decision.