Tamil film on human sacrifice gets cleared by CBFC's revising committee

Debutant actor Aryan Shyam’s thriller Andha Naal, which had recently been refused a censor certificate, has now been granted the ‘A’ certificate after the film’s team appealed the decision to the revising committee (RC).
Talking about the ordeal, Aryan says, “The film’s core theme involves human sacrifice and since that is banned by law, the censor board members who initially watched the film refused to certify it. Our team was distraught because we had put in a lot of effort and spent a lot of money. For me, personally, it was a double blow. I was supposed to make my debut with Mysskin’s Psycho, but that did not happen. And I was banking on this one as it was my entry into films. But when they refused to certify this film, I became depressed.”
The team decided to make an appeal and screen the film for the censor board’s revising committee. “The RC was headed by actress Gautami ma’am. After watching the film, she appreciated us, saying it’s a well-researched, neatly made film, but then, expressed apprehension about certifying the film because of its content. After we explained our point of view, she seemed satisfied, but said that we will have to make a few cuts if the film had to be censored,” says Aryan.
One major cut that was suggested was to remove a scene featuring a headless idol, before which characters in the film make human sacrifice. “One member felt that it looked like Amman silai and objected to it. But we said that the scene was integral to the film, and that it wasn’t an Amman idol, but something that our art director came up with on his own. Gautami ma’am understood the significance of the scene, so she told us that it can remain, but asked us to blur the idol,” he informs.
Another scene involving a lady being stabbed in her stomach was also problematic. “We gave the example of films like Paruthiveeran, which have shown violence against women. Finally, Gautami ma’am said that we could show her face instead of her being stabbed,” he adds.
Now, following a few more cuts, including the muting of a community’s name, the film has been granted an ‘A’ certificate because of its theme. “We are glad that the revising committee saw our point of view,” says Aryan.
Meanwhile, he informs that he has also resolved his issue with Mysskin, against whom he had filed a case in the court, demanding that he repay the advance amount of `1 crore that was paid to him to direct Psycho. “Mysskin has returned the amount now, and I have withdrawn the case,” he informs us.