The past couple of days have been abuzz with news reports about CBFC refusing to certify Lipstick Under My Burkha. The decision has sparked an outrage amongst feminists since the film targets about women unabashedly accepting their sexuality and the director of the film Alankrita Shrivastava has now decided to approach Film Certification Appellate Tribunal for the certification.

Lipstick Under My Burkha has received acclaim at several international film festivals but the film has been struggling to get a release in its home country India. The Central Board of Film Certification, as stated by Alankrita Shrivastava, has categorically refused to certify the film because of their ‘guidelines’. In a statement released a day ago, the CBFC claimed to have refused to certify the film due to its explicit scenes and portrayal of women-oriented fantasies.

Director Alankrita Shrivastava considers approaching FCAT as the next apt step after neither the CBFC nor the revising committee supported the release of the film. Just a day ago, Prakash Jha too confessed that he has been considering of going to the tribunal for the certification of the film. The director of the film, however, slammed the CBFC decision adding that this is a way of stifling women’s voices in a patriarchal society.

Lipstick Under My Burkha stars Konkana Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, Plabita Borthakur, Aahana Kumra, Vikrant Massey, Sushant Singh among others.