📌 Key Points
- Kamal Haasan joked about censorship during a screening of his documentary, Lead on Gandhi, at a Chennai college.
- The actor quipped, “Censor aa, thadangal aa?” (Is it censored or just a glitch?) when the documentary froze.
- Haasan recently addressed freedom of expression concerns related to Vijay’s film and CBFC certification.
- He urged the film industry to unite for dialogue with the government on transparent certification processes.
Kamal Haasan recently sparked laughter and reflection at a Chennai college event. During a documentary screening, a technical glitch prompted a witty remark about censorship, echoing his broader concerns regarding freedom of expression in the film industry.
Haasan’s Joke During Documentary Screening
During the screening of the Lead on Gandhi documentary at a Chennai college, Kamal Haasan joked about censorship. Here’s why.
Actor Kamal Haasan was recently the chief guest at Women’s Christian College’s Festeve ‘26 fest. The event, held in Chennai, saw him speak to students and stream his documentary, Lead on Gandhi. When the documentary froze during the screening, the actor couldn’t help but crack a joke about censorship.
Concerns over Film Certification
After looking around in surprise, Kamal took to the podium and jokingly asked, “Censor aa, thadangal aa? (Is it censored or just a glitch?)” making everybody there crack up. Some students even cheered loudly and waved at him as he continued to patiently wait for the documentary to resume. It took a few minutes for the college management to resolve the issue and resume screening.
Sharing a clip of the moment on X (formerly Twitter), one joked that it was “The Classic Kamal reply.” Another wrote, “Kamal is a wise man.” “Is there anyone else like him who can talk like this?” wrote another. This comes on the heels of Kamal stating that freedom of expression is at stake in the row over Vijay’s film Jana Nayagan and the CBFC.
Call for Industry Dialogue
He called for a ‘principled relook’ at the certification process with ‘defined timelines for certification, transparent evaluation, and written, reasoned justification’ for the cuts and modifications meted out. Kamal also called for the film industry to unite to engage in a ‘meaningful, constructive’ dialogue with the government. “Such reform will safeguard creative freedom, uphold constitutional values, and strengthen India’s democratic institutions by affirming trust in its artists and its people,” he added.
Last seen in Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life, Kamal is now shooting for a yet-to-be-titled film by Anbariv. He is also producing a film starring Rajinikanth , directed by Cibi Chakaravarthi.
Haasan’s remarks highlight ongoing debates about censorship and creative freedom in Indian cinema. His call for industry unity suggests a proactive approach to reforming film certification processes and safeguarding artistic expression for the future.
