Konkona Sen Sharma slams censor board for denying certificate to 'Lipstick under my Burkha'

Actress Konkona Sen Sharma has slammed the censor board for denying a certificate to her film "Lipstick under my Burkha". The film, directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, failed to get a clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for allegedly being "lady oriented" and containing "abusive words."

"It is very important for women to tell women stories and I feel Alankrita has done a wonderful job with 'Lipstick under my Burkha'. I am fed up with the fact that such films are banned and so many other kind of films are not banned.

"No film should be banned. CBFC should just certify films. We should see all kind of films where women talk about themselves," the actress says. Konkona was speaking at the 2017 edition of Shabana Azmi's Mijwan Fashion Show, on Sunday night.

Besides the 37-year-old actress, the film also features Ratna Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra, Plabita Borthakur, Sushant Singh, Vikrant Massey and Shashank Arora.

"Lipstick Under My Burkha" won the 'Oxfam Award for the Best Film on Gender Equality' at the Mumbai Film Festival and the 'Spirit of Asia' prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Konkona says it is unfortunate that a film, which has won awards in international film festivals, is facing obstacles in its release. "It is very discouraging. I feel it is an unnecessary obstacle.

In India, it is anyway difficult to get funds for such films and the movie is getting awards internationally. It is unfortunate. "Let's see what the tribunal decides. But people in India should have the right to choose for themselves what they want to watch," she adds.