Former censor board chief and filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani moved the Bombay High Court on Monday against a CBFC order directing 20 cuts in his soon-to-release production venture, "Rangeela Raja". Nihalani, in his petition, said the suggestion of the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) was unjustified and uncalled for as he firmly believed that the film was not vulgar in any manner. The filmmaker also hit out at the present head of CBFC, Prasoon Joshi, and said he was "politically motivated". He further alleged that when a film was submitted for certification, the screening committee of the board took about 21 days to decide. However, in this case, it took 40 days.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday before a vacation bench of the high court. Nihalani's tenure as CBFC chief was marred with controversies as various flmmakers had accused him of asking for arbitrary cuts in their films, leading to him being replaced by Joshi. He said the cuts suggested for his movie “violate CBFC guidelines”. “No one is surprised that Thugs of Hindostan [starring Khan] was given an all-clear censor certification out of turn, while my film Rangeela Raja which was submitted well in time 60 days ahead of release, has been slapped with multiple cuts which I am not taking. No sir,” he added.

Nihalani, who raked up several controversies during his tenure at the Central Board of Film Certification, was sacked in August 2017. He had called Lipstick Under My Burkha a “lady-oriented” film, and had also objected to the use of the word intercourse in one of trailers of actor Shahrukh Khan’s film Jab Harry Met Sejal. In July 2017, he ordered a ban on actors drinking and smoking on screen. He had said actors should set an example for the society as millions of people look up to them. He had issued a directive saying a movie where alcohol is essential to the plot will be given an “Adult” certificate.