Censor Board cuts crucifixion scene from 'Ghost' movie

Another Bollywood horror movie has come under the watchful eyes of the Censor Board for its obscene or objectionable content.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has demanded several cuts in the Shiney Ahuja starrer 'Ghost' which is slated to be released by the end of this month.

One of the several controversial scenes in the Hindi movie shows an evil spirit in female form being crucified like Jesus Christ.

The scene, which the director Puja Jatinder Bedi described as "pivotal", was cut after the Censor Board perceived that it would offend members of the Christian community.

"The censor board felt that the crucifixion would hurt religious sentiments of the Christian community," Bedi was quoted by the press as saying.

Several murder sequences in the movie were toned down due to its "gore content", informed Bedi.

However, the Censor Board's regional officer at Mumbai, JP Singh, told reporters that the crucifixion sequence had only been reduced, not removed.

"That scene is still there in the film. Only its length has been shortened to reduce the impact of the extreme brutality shown on a girl," he said.

According to Singh, the examining committee has given the movie 5-6 cuts. All of them were extremely brutal, he said.

Rated as Bollywood's most violent film ever, the story has reportedly adapted several chapters from the Bible.

The 'Ghost' is also written and edited by Bedi, who had earlier co-produced films like 'Mangal Pandey' and 'Guru'.

The movie stars actor Shiney Ahuja who was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping his maid in 2009.

In November, last year, the Censor Board took cognizance of a complaint from the Christian community after objections were raised to the poster of a Hindi film that showed the picture of Jesus Christ on the cross being stabbed by a man.

The advertisement of the movie, "Who's There?" (Kaun Hain Waha) appeared on several dailies despite it not being cleared by the Publicity Clearing agency (IMPPA).

The producer of the movie later tendered an apology and withdrew the offensive advertisements.