Director claims Anupam Kher tried to derail film, he denies

New Delhi: Documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma and veteran actor Anupam Kher are locked in a fight in the social media over the former`s Gujarat riots documentary `Final Solution`.

Sharma alleged that as former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson, Kher banned his documentary `Final Solution` by not giving it a clearance during the NDA-led regime. He claims the documentary was finally cleared when the Congress-led UPA coalition came in power. "`Final Solution` was cleared on October 7, 2004, when the UPA was in power, not as Anupam Kher claims during the BJP regime!," Rakesh tweeted. "It was cleared by a panel headed by Shyam Benegal, with 3-4 members. Anupam `banned` it through a charade earlier," he added. Kher, who was the chairperson of the board from 16 October 2003 to 13 October 2004, has denied Sharma`s allegations insisting the movie was passed under his tenure and Sharma even thanked him for that. "Have been reading Rakesh Sharma`s response to my interviews to news channels about his documentary film `Final Solution`. He is lying. He says I as a chairman of Censor Board didn`t pass his documentary. UPA did. Easiest thing is to do is find out the proof from CB," Kher wrote. "I as a Chairman saw his documentary and passed it without any cuts. Censor board has the proof. In fact Rakesh Sharma thanked me for passing his documentary. I feel sorry for him. Calling me a liar without any proof is a cowardly act," he added.