The erstwhile guardian of everything sanskaari, former Central Board of Certification chief Pahlaj Nihalani is back in the news again.
But this time around, the tables have turned, with Pahlaj distributing the erotic thriller Julie 2, a sequel to the 2004 Neha Dhupia-starrer.
The film, whose tagline – Bold... Beautiful... Blessed – says it all, should be released with an ‘A’ certificate without any cuts, says Pahlaj.
One poster of the film, showed the film’s lead Raai Laxmi lying on a beach with a bare torso, her breasts strategically covered by a book. As this poster hit the internet and the newspapers, Twitter exploded with outraged amusement at the irony of it all.
After so so many films were chopped, delayed, inconvenienced, destroyed and censored....
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) September 4, 2017
So much for Sanskar. pic.twitter.com/rhkUnrlW1J
After being sacked as CBFC chief, #PahlajNihalani is distributing #Julie2 ..Irony just shot itself in the face and then buried itself
— Aastha Khandpur (@AasthaBKhandpur) September 4, 2017
Pahlaj Nihalani is that guy in your college who tells you that smoking is injurious to health just before blowing smoke on your face.#Julie2
— Sayantan Ghosh (@sayantansunnyg) September 4, 2017
While many Twitter users were content with outraging about the poster, one user went ahead and designed mock-ups that the former CBFC chief may have approved back then.
Palhaj Nihalani's new film is destroying our Culture and our Sanskaars so I've made some options for the poster. pic.twitter.com/nhON3anQcU
— José Covaco (@HoeZaay) September 4, 2017
Some users were just happy to see that Pahlaj had ‘bounced back’ from his abrupt removal from the Censor Board.
Good to see Pahlaj Nihalani is gainfully employed again. pic.twitter.com/7283djoWyR
— Anupam Gupta (@b50) September 4, 2017
And some said, the Julie 2 poster is proof that Pahlaj found a way to make his time in the CBFC profitable after all.
Looks like all cuts so far by pahlaj Nihalani been used in the making of #julie2
— abhinav khajuria (@khanabadosh_AK) September 4, 2017
Meanwhile, the original Sanskaari uncle Alok Nath has reason to cheer.
Pahlaj Nihalani is the distributor of #Julie2... Alok nathji happy that he gets back his sanskari title...
— Bengaluru Betala (@gururaj_mj) September 4, 2017
Even as most people called out Pahlaj’s hypocrisy, there were some interesting alternate theories being proposed.
Pahlaj Nihlani ji is so concerned about family values that he covered the girl's face with dosa. https://t.co/D3oT9JVBIi
— Dr. Rajeev Verma (@rajv) September 4, 2017
This is Pahlaj Nihalani doing his bit for Beti Padhao scheme. Julie taking a nap after intense cerebral reading. pic.twitter.com/vt8q4t7Ocq
— Naomi Datta (@nowme_datta) September 4, 2017
Don't tell Nihalani anything. He ensured "blessed" was there in the tagline. He be so sanskari. pic.twitter.com/FWAeNlyC69
— Vivek Tejuja (@vivekisms) September 4, 2017
But while a lot of Twitter users gleefully prayed for Pahlaj to get a taste of his own medicine at the hands of the censors, wiser voices were quick to point out that he deserved his freedom of expression like everyone else.
Sincerely hope JULIE 2 passes without cuts and trouble, FWIW. Poetic justice isn't worth the cost of the failure to progress.
— Suprateek Chatterjee (@SupraMario) September 4, 2017