‘I Am Roshni’, a film dealing with incest, forced to release of YouTube as censors refuse to certify it

Bollywood film ‘I Am Roshni’ produced by Crescendo Music and Films and directed by Manoj Jayantilal Bhatia, is an independent and hard hitting film that was denied a censor certificate by the CBFC, on account of its theme, incest. What surprised the makers was that the board members rejected the film majorly because of its story and premise rather than any objectionable scenes or content.

A source close to the project says the film was made in 2017 and after trying everything in the book to get a censor certificate, the makers had no choice but to release it on YouTube and write off any commercial gains.

Suresh Thomas, producer and head of Crescendo Music says that while the theme may shock some viewers, there are absolutely no sleazy scenes in the film. “I Am Roshni’ is a sensitive film about a brother and a sister, who amid difficult circumstances, find solace in each other’s company.”

Stating further, Suresh Thomas adds that even an OTT release required a certificate from the censors. “While we wanted a theatrical release ideally, after running from pillar to post we were content with an OTT release as well and there were talks in advanced stages with a couple of platforms but they all fell through, as the board was not willing to certify the film. It is on Youtube now and I urge people to watch it and point out any vulgarity at all. A film like this needs to be shown because these things are happening and turning a blind eye wont help," he adds.

Director Manoj Jayantilal Bhatia echoes his sentiments and believes that now that the film is on Youtube, people can see for themselves and judge whether the film deserved to be snubbed.

‘I Am Roshni’ stars Ankita Parihar and Yash Rajpara in the lead roles and has done festival rounds across the globe,  where it was received very well and won several awards. The film is now available on YouTube for everyone to see.