By Subhash K Jha

It has been a harrowing week for Parvin Dabas who had to run from pillar-to-post to get a censor clearance for his film. Hours before release the new producer-director and not-so-old actor was apparently asked to delete all references to a particular politician and the politician's political ideology.

Pravin panicked.

Says a friend of the actor-turned filmmaker, "The prints were ready to be dispatched across the world. Only the censor certificate was awaited. But until Wednesday there was no sign of the censor clearance. Parvin was in a state of suppressed hysteria. '

Till Wednesday afternoon Parvin was on tenterhooks waiting for a signature on the censor certificate for his film, afraid to open his mouth about the delay in case it caused further delay. Dabas finally exhaled when that elusive signature on the censor certificate was obtained on Wednesday afternoon.

Until then all the prints of his debut film were frozen in their tracks, the Friday-release on hold until the censorboard's go-ahead.

Dabas's debut film Sahi Bande Galat Dhande offended the censor board because of a true-life character of a politician in the film. Politics and politicians seem to still be unacceptable as fodder for cinema, at least to the censorboard.

To no one's surprise actor-turned-director Parvin Dabas found his directorial debut in a bit of a fix as one of the characters is a politician closely resembled a well-known politician in real life.

Says a source, "The politician in the film resembles the real-life politician in all detail. But most of all it's the politician's words that are a dead giveaway. They are an exact replica of what the real-life politician said in speeches. "

When contacted Parvin Dabas is evasive, "Yes it's true. I've had to make some cuts. They felt some lines were similar to what an actual politician has said. "

Dabas had to make the necessary changes at the eleventh hour, edited out the politician's character. On Tuesday night a special screening in Delhi for dignitaries had to be cancelled. But Dabas is not complaining.

"The important thing is, I can release my film now. The censor certificate got delayed because of a minor glitch. Our fault entirely. "

Then he blurts out, "I've been through a lot. I'm just happy that my film could be released on time. "