Will the censor board blow its top?

The Indian censor board is soon going to have its hands full. The makers of Indo-Italian co-production Gangor, which has already created quite a buzz in the festival circuit and is based on Mahashweta Devi's short story Choli Ke Peeche, are reportedly trying to release the film in India by March.

Among others, there are two topless scenes of model-actress Priyanka Bose who plays the protagonist Gangor, and another where tribal women, in a mass protest, take off their blouses.

According to the producer of the film Vinod Kumar, these scenes are crucial and have been shot in the most aesthetic way possible. "The censor board should appreciate our level of commitment. The film is about the freedom of expression and we won't mind an 'A' certificate." The film's Director Of Photography Marco Onorato earlier made the well-known Italian mafia film Gommorah.

Talking about the controversial scenes, Kumar added that the sequence featuring the protest forms the climax of the film where they demonstrate against police brutality. The activist leading the protest is apparently named Medha in the film, and her character is based on the activist Medha Patkar.

Actresses like Nandana Sen and Shahana Goswami reportedly turned down the role of Gangor because of the nude scenes. Bose, who played a small role in Sanjay Bhansali's Guzaarish, however, went ahead, having enough faith in the director and script.

The producer said, "There was a scene, where Gangor confronts a man, telling him how he ruined her life. In order to expose her pain, she tears off her blouse to show her scars.

This was the very scene Italo Spinelli (director) and Sushma (casting director) used to audition actors for Gangor's part. We had some great auditions from Shahana Goswami, Deepal Shaw, Paoli Dam and many others, but it was Priyanka who saw the merit of the film." In the other topless scene, Bose is seen breastfeeding her child.

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