Censor Board Of India Is Flagging The RSS Ideology In Releasing The Film ‘Haal’

By Syed Ali Mujtaba, New Age Islam 18 October 2025 Malayalam film ‘Haal’ has come under the cloud of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC), not due to vulgarity or violence, but because it does not fall within the parameters of the RSS’s ideological agenda. The Censor Board’s obsession with promoting Hindutva ideology has led critics to say that this organization is trampling the freedom of speech, and the film body is no longer an independent organization but is under the influence of the Sangh Parivar ideology. ‘Haal’ is a romantic musical film that stars Shane Nigam and Sakshi Vaidya in the lead roles. The story is written by Nishad K. Koya and directed by debutant director Veera. This movie is about the inter-religious marriage between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy. The film conveys the idea that if such couples follow their respective religion, such kind of marriages can be sustained peacefully. The movie ‘Haal’ is all about the trials and tribulations of an interfaith couple faces living in a society that is divided on religious lines. How the couple copes with their existential crisis in a categorized society is the basic theme of the movie. The film falls in line with the spirit of the Constitution of India that acknowledges such marriages under the Special Marriage Act of 1955. In sum, the film promotes communal harmony with the message: live peacefully and let others live in the same way. The movie is all about love that can conquer all odds. However, India’s Censor Board does not concur with such ideas promoted through this film. The CBFC has asked the filmmakers to remove several scenes from the movie because they involve ‘religious sensitivities and socio-cultural dynamics’ of the country. The scene where the interfaith couple is shown to be eating ‘beef biryani’ and enjoying it rakishly has attracted the wrath of the CBFC. It needs to be mentioned that beef biryani is a popular South Indian dish. It contains Buffalo’s meat and not the beef, as the name suggests. In states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, beef biryani is a common dietary habit of the local Hindus, Christians, and Muslims. The CBFC has no understanding of the culinary traditions in the South and has asked the filmmakers to remove this scene because the RSS ideology does not approve of such practices. Another scene where a few characters are shown wearing the kalava (or mauli), a sacred red-and-yellow thread traditionally worn on the wrists by the RSS members, symbolizing a commitment to protect the Hindu community, is being asked to be removed. Then, a scene where a character says ‘Dhwaja Pranamam,’ a salute associated with the RSS to "salute to the flag," is asked to be removed. "Dhwaja Pranamam" refers to the act of offering a respectful greeting to the saffron flag, which is the RSS flag. Then the CBFC has asked that the name Sulthan Bathery, which is a municipal town in the Wayanad district of Kerala to be changed to Ganapathyvattam. The name Sulthan Bathery owes its origin to Tipu Sultan, who annexed this place, which was previously known as Ganapathyvattam. The CBC has also asked to remove the scene where a character uses a Burqa to hide her identity. The CBFC has claimed that the film has a hidden agenda and, therefore, several scenes need to be cut before it gets approval for screening. The CBFC told the producers that even after all those cuts, the film would get only an ‘A’ certificate. The movie ‘Haal’ is made with a budget of ₹16 crore and is currently facing an uncertain future. The producers have already postponed its release twice, first on September 19 and then on October 10. Now, with the CBFC officials delaying their certification, the producers have moved the Kerala High Court to direct the Union government to intervene in this matter. Earlier, the movie ‘Haal’ was submitted to the regional office in Thiruvananthapuram for certification. The regional office had found this movie fit for screening, but due to some reasons, it sent it to the review committee of the CBFC in Mumbai. What comes out clearly from the CBFC’s objections to the release of the film is that it is promoting Hindutva ideology in the issue of the certification of the films. It is raising objections to the cinematic art form that do not go by the spirit of freedom of speech and constitutional values. The members of the censor board do not want the generation ZEE to grow up with ideas of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence. It is nullifying the special marriage of the Act of 1955 that provides a legal guarantee to the union between a man and a woman belonging to different religious faiths. This is a dangerous trend that is gaining roots in the censor board of India. Voices against those serving the interests of Hindutva ideology must be raised. Such people should be identified, and at least a media trial against them should be conducted to save the creative art form getting degradation in India. The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. Some reports suggest that there is increased political and ideological pressure on the CBFC from groups aligned with the ruling BJP, which has its roots in the RSS. Recent instances have led to concerns over the CBFC's independence, and allegations of ideological bias are coming to light. In April 2025, the film ‘Phule’ was delayed and faced demands for edits after objections from Brahman groups. Reports claim the board asked for cuts and changes to dialogues, indicating political and ideological pressure. In July 2025, the Kerala High Court intervened after the CBFC denied certification for the film JSK: Janaki V v/s State of Kerala. The board had initially objected to the use of the name "Janaki" for the protagonist, leading to a legal battle and concerns about arbitrary, non-legal reasoning. The pattern of recent events suggests that ideological and political pressures from the ruling party and its affiliated organizations are influencing the CBFC’s decisions. The grapevine has it that the CBFC is a "moral tribunal" rather than an impartial certifying body of films. Critics argue that this signals an expansion of the censor's role from regulating morality to the policing ideology of Hindutva looks imminent. ---- Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. 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