After Tamil actor Vishal alleged corruption in Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Centre has stepped in steadfastly and ordered an inquiry at its Mumbai office on Thursday.
Vishal had alleged that he had to pay money to receive a certificate for the Hindi release of his movie Mark Antony.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Vishal said that he had to pay Rs 6.5 lakh for the screening and certification of Mark Antony.
“Had to pay 6.5 lacs for my film #MarkAntonyHindi version. 2 transactions. 3 Lakhs for screening and 3.5 Lakhs for certificate. Never faced this situation ever in my career,” he wrote on X.
Soon after his video surfaced, Information and Broadcasting ministry ordered a probe into the matter. “A senior officer from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has been deputed to Mumbai to conduct an inquiry today itself,” the I&B ministry tweeted on Friday.
The Ministry also sought public’s cooperation and urged people to share any information of harassment by CBFC.
Vishal’s sci-fi film Mark Antony, directed by Adhik Ravichandran, was released in Hindi on Thursday. The movie also features S. J. Suryah, Ritu Varma, Sunil, Selvaraghavan and Abhinaya.
In Vishal’s post, he appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to investigate the “scam” centering the CBFC’s Mumbai office.
The actor also said that he was told by a staff at the office that it was a common practice at the CBFC.
“This is very saddening…If this is the case in government offices, I really request higher authorities to look into this matter,” said the actor.