‘The board rejected my film without even seeing it’: Director Ravindra Gautam

On August 25, the Bombay High Court directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to clear Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi for release without any cuts, thus ending the makers’ month-long battle with the board that originally demanded 29 cuts. The ordeal, however, has left director Ravindra Gautam reconsidering a theatrical release of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s biopic. Instead, the director has initiated conversations with streamers for an OTT release.  

When we get on a call with Gautam, he admits that the tussle — which first saw the Examining Committee rejecting the film — has taken a toll on him. “The board rejected my film without even seeing it. The committee gave 29 irrelevant cuts. As a filmmaker, it’s my responsibility to make a neutral film that does not spark any violence, or caste violence. It’s a personal film about how a person born in a remote village, with no political background, can rise to become the chief minister of one of India’s most populous states,” he says.

Ravindra Gautam and Yogi Adityanath

Starring Anant V Joshi in the titular role, Ajey is said to be an adaptation of Shantanu Gupta’s book, The Monk Who Became Chief Minister, and charts Adityanath’s turn to spirituality and his eventual rise in politics. Probe Gautam on the 29 cuts that were handed out, and the director reveals that one of the scenes was set in the protagonist’s college. “In the men’s restroom, obscene things about women were scribbled on the walls. Ajey goes inside to wipe off the writing. The board objected to this, saying that it would hurt women’s sentiments. But in storytelling, you need to show what is wrong in order to rectify it,” reasons the director.

The CBFC had also asked the makers to obtain a No Objection certificate from Adityanath — an instruction that Gautam found unreasonable. He says, “We had the book’s rights. The producers had all the necessary legal clearances to make the film. So, I don’t know why or how they took this position.”

A story like Ajey can glorify a figure who is polarising. While many in Uttar Pradesh view Adityanath as an inspiring leader, some minority communities don’t share the view. How does one walk that tightrope? “What you’re expressing is largely a Mumbai view. On the ground in UP, the minority community sees it differently. We researched this while making the film. We visited Lucknow, Rishikesh, and other places, and spoke to people from different communities, including minorities, and the common man is happy with him.”

Aug 1
When the film was initially slated for release