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Paresh Rawal questions the CBFC’s decision to pass films with nudity but raise objections with Ajey, and calls them out for demanding 29 cuts without any explanation.
Ajey: The Untold Story Of A Yogi will release in cinemas on September 19.
Ajey: The Untold Story Of A Yogi is still reeling in its controversies. The teaser gave rise to conversations on whether it’s a hidden propaganda and if it dishes out glorification rather than just information on Yogi Adityanath, the present CM of Uttar Pradesh. Paresh Rawal, who plays Mahant Avaidyanath in the film, recently asserted that the makers aren’t seeking an election ticket, government contracts or land through the film, but still the chatter surrounding the intention behind the film refuses to die.
Speaking exclusively to News18 Showsha, he hits back at dissenters and says, “Humara yahan aaj kal ek fashion ho gaya hai. If we tell a story that’s true, uncomfortable and blunt, people tend to reject it. Yeh ek rawaiyya ho gaya hai. And I don’t think we should pay attention to these things. Let them shout, bhaukne do. Your work is to do things with all your heart and honesty. Your intention matters. And that’s where this should end.”
Based on the book titled The Monk Who Became Chief Minister, Ajey was supposed to hit the screens on 1 August but got stuck in a censorship row. The CBFC had demanded 29 cuts and a NOC from the UP CM, leading to repeated delays in its release. But in a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court directed the CBFC to grant certification to Ajey for its theatrical release without imposing any cuts or modifications. While Paresh usually refrains from engaging in such chatter, he questions their calls this time around.
Enquiring why no one had an issue with the book but raised objections with the film, he states, “I’m someone who knows his boundaries and sticks to them. I’m an actor, and my job isn’t to figure out what went wrong between the makers and the CBFC. In this case, the book is out there in the public domain for almost ten years now. If there was something objectionable in it, people would’ve raised their voices but that didn’t happen.”
Reacting to how the CBFC doesn’t allegedly censor graphical content in films but had a problem with their film, the Hera Pheri and Hungama actor further adds, “Going by that, when you make a film based on that same book, it should ideally be an easy process. I would’ve understood if the film had nudity or cuss words but it’s a film on Yogi ji. I was surprised that CBFC reacted in the way they did. But chalo, der aaye durust aaye.”
What further bothers him is the lack of explanation on CBFC’s part when it came to those 29 cuts. “I don’t know, they viewed this film through which lens. If they ask for a cut, they’ve to give us a reason so that we can implement that cut. Even if their reason was the law and order situation, the responsibility of maintaining so is on the state and not the CBFC. Yeh log kab se bhavishya neta ho gaye? All of it is very ambiguous to me,” Paresh remarks.
Titas Chowdhury is a Principal Correspondent at News18 Showsha. She writes about cinema, music and gender in cinema. Interviewing actors and filmmakers, writing about latest trends in showbiz and bringing break…Read More
Titas Chowdhury is a Principal Correspondent at News18 Showsha. She writes about cinema, music and gender in cinema. Interviewing actors and filmmakers, writing about latest trends in showbiz and bringing break… Read More
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September 15, 2025, 07:53 IST
