The
tension
over
the
censoring
of
Raajneeti
is
over.
But
not
without
some
vital
scenes
featuring
Ranbir
Kapoor
and
Arjun
Rampal
getting
the
chopper.
Arjun
Rampal's
love-making
scene
with
Katrina
has
been
reduced
drastically.
Says
the
director
Prakash
Jha
regretfully,
"It
was
a
very
aesthetically
shot
love
making
scene.
Arjun
and
Katrina
are
two
very
beautiful
people.
And
they
made
love
to
the
camera.
The
Tribunal
felt
it
was
a
bit
too
explicit
for
a
'UA'
audience.
I
didn't
argue."
However,
Katrina
who
had
dropped
her
normal
inhibitions
for
the
sake
of
her
role
and
character
is
none
too
pleased
with
her
labour
of
love-making
going
to
waste.
But
the
director
can
breathe
easy
now.
Prakash
Jha's
week-
long
battle
with
the
censor
board
ended
on
Tuesday
with
the
Tribunal
viewing
the
film
and
granting
it
a
'UA'
certificate.
Jha
had
challenged
the
censor
board's
decision
earlier
last
week
to
grant
Raajneeti
an
'A'
certificate
with
cuts.
Apparently,
the
censor
board
had
earlier
objected
to
two
sequences
one
showing
the
rigging
of
elections
by
fitting
ballot
boxes
with
specially
designed
gadgets
and
the
other
showing
a
female
politician
offering
sex
in
exchange
for
an
election
ticket.
Jha
wouldn't
listen
to
any
talk
of
cuts
with
the
censor
board.
Says
Jha,
"An
'A'
certificate
brings
on
a
specific
mind-set
on
the
audience.
They
think
the
film
has
sleazy
content.
So
I
preferred
to
let
the
film
be
referred
to
the
Tribunal."
Jha
sees
the
reduction
of
the
Katrina-Arjun
love-making
scene
as
a
blow.
"The
love
scene
was
absolutely
essential.
Unlike
other
directors
I
had
not
shot
extra
footage
so
that
the
censors
could
take
away
whatever
portion
they
liked.
I
had
shot
the
love-making
scene
exactly
the
way
it
was
meant
to
be.
I've
had
to
reduce
it
by
half."
Says
Jha,
"It's
a
disappointment
to
all
of
us.
I've
also
had
to
beep
out
the
F...
word
uttered
by
Ranbir
and
Arjun
Rampal
in
two
different
places
in
the
plot.
Ex-justice
Usha
Mehra
who
headed
the
Tribunal
requested
me
to
do
away
with
the
F...
word.
It
didn't
make
a
difference."
Incidentally
several
recent
Hindi
films
were
plastered
with
expletives
in
Hindi
and
English.
Also
Arjun's
volatile
character
in
Raajneeti
shouts
lurid
and
graphic
expletives
in
Hindi
at
a
police
officer.
These
remain
intact
while
the
'F'
word
is
gone.
Story first published: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 17:33 [IST]