The Malayalam film Marco (2024) has emerged as a surprise at the box office. Its dubbed Hindi version dropped after a point; nevertheless, its performance was impressive considering it collected a mere Rs. 1 lakh on its release day. It then went on to increase with each passing day and on January 1, it collected a huge Rs. 1 crore, which is an unbelievable feat, considering where it started from. This was possible due to its word of mouth. Viewers loved the performance of the lead, its mass and stylish treatment and the action. But many also complained that the film has too many disturbing scenes, especially in the pre-climax. In fact, a cinema hall pulled down the film because of its visuals. This theatre is none other than Nishat Cinema, Grant Road, Mumbai run by producer and ex-CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) chairperson, Pahlaj Nihalani.
EXCLUSIVE: Pahlaj Nihalani reveals he had to pull down violent film Marco from his theatre as “audience chillane lage”; blames filmmakers for copying Animal-style filmmaking: “But Animal worked not due to violence but star cast and kissing scenes”
Bollywood Hungama spoke exclusively with Pahlaj and asked him the reason behind it. He replied, “I had reservations with the gruesome scenes of children being butchered in Marco. The audience doesn’t like to watch these films. Aisi film dikha ke kya faayda?”
When asked if he had seen Marco, Pahlaj Nihalani answered, “No. But I learned about it kyunki audience film dekh ke chillane lage. And it’s a theatre frequented by the masses. They consume mostly action films but they were unable to sit through Marco. They began complaining and began leaving the cinema hall.”
He also said that the ‘Animal syndrome’ has gripped the industry, referring to the 2023 blockbuster starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. Pahlaj said, “Animal, however, was successful not just because of violence but also the star cast. The smooching between the hero and heroine was also loved. The heroine became a big hit; Bhushan Kumar offered her multiple films after Animal. Some people didn’t like it and yet, it worked big time.”
Coming back to Marco, Pahlaj Nihalani also wondered how a film of this kind was even passed by the CBFC. He stated, “South mein kuch bhi pass ho jaata hai. At times, films with violence also got a U/A rating. The temperament of South members of CBFC is different from that of Mumbai. Here, a lot of members are politically affiliated. There, the members are fans of certain actors or actresses. They have a liberal attitude and this is happening right from the beginning.”
He also complained about the present situation of CBFC, currently headed by Prasoon Joshi, “The CBFC guidelines are not being followed. For instance, do you know that as per the guidelines, a horror or supernatural film necessarily has to be ‘A’. Was Shaitaan given an ‘A’ certificate? This board is ajeeb. They refused to pass Padmaavat (2018) though it was a clean entertainer. (Before I became the chairperson), Ram-leela’s title was changed to Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013). Woh karne ka kya matlab tha?”
More Pages: Marco Box Office Collection , Marco Movie Review
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