The Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC), which has so far been very liberal about display of cleavage, has suddenly decided to clamp down heavily on such scenes.
The first casualty of the censor board's new-found regard for a woman's modesty is new actress Rupali Krishnarao, who plays a prostitute in Asshu Trikha's "Koyelaanchal". Her cleavage has been blurred by the censors at several places in the film where the board members found the display of flesh too ample.
Considering how much cleavages are part of Bollywood culture, Trikha can't stop grinning over the sheer hypocrisy of this sudden flash of modesty.
"The cleavage was blurred as per the censor board's instruction. I argued with them saying cleavage is an integral part of Bollywood culture. Besides, my heroine plays a prostitute. In 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' 36 years ago, Zeenat Aman had displayed a lot more than mere cleavage in a temple sequence."
Besides, Trikha pointed out his film is not for children.
"My film is for adults only. And adult audiences are mature enough to handle some cleavage. But I saw no point in arguing beyond a point. I just blurred the blouse."
But he has no complaints against the censor board. "They have become cautiously advanced as opposed to defensively regressive."
Meanwhile, a sequence in Ananth Mahadevan's 'The Xpose' showing a starlet in a transparent white sari has been trimmed by the censorboard.
Ironically, the same pose by Zeenat in Raj Kapoor's "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" 36 years ago was allowed to go without any cuts.