'Agneepath' first film to run anti-smoking scroll in item song 'Chikni Chameli'

NEW DELHI: In a first, the Hrithik Roshan-Sanjay Dutt starrer ‘ Agneepath’ included a statutory anti-tobacco warning scroll in the popular item number ‘ Chikni Chameli’ — in which Katrina Kaif lights up bidis, an act the censors thought would send a wrong signal.

The film also ran warnings before and during the film. This was done to evade cuts in the film, which was released on January 26 with a U/A certificate.

“For the first time, CBFC ( Central Board for Film Certification ) asked for a statutory warning scroll in a popular item song. The producers (of ‘Agneepath’ ) offered no resistance ,” said the CEO of the board, Pankaja Thakur.
“Films that encourage smoking or alcohol consumption will have to run such scrolls or accept cuts to get a certificate,” Thakur added.