Tamil actor Vishal has been called in for questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with his allegations of bribery related to obtaining a censor certificate for the Hindi version of his film, "Mark Antony." Vishal confirmed the development on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday, expressing his surprise at finding himself involved in such a matter.
In September, Vishal publicly accused a mediator associated with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) of demanding a bribe of Rs 6.5 lakh for the certification of the Hindi version of his film. The actor claimed that he paid Rs 3 lakh for the screening and an additional Rs 3.5 lakh for a U/A certificate through a convoluted back transaction.
Heading to the CBI office in Mumbai for the inquiry, Vishal posted on X, stating, “Now on my way to CBI office in Mumbai for an enquiry regarding the CBFC case. Lol. Never ever thought I will be going to this office too in my life.”
In an earlier statement, Vishal explained, “I had two reasons to pay Rs 6.5 lakh. One was to get my film released because a lot was at stake. That’s the price I paid to get the truth out. It was very alarming. I’ve never faced something like this in my career. I can’t fight against corruption only on the silver screen. I got to see corruption in real life and that too in a government office. They can’t take money from producers so casually to justify giving them a certificate. I’m not doing an adult or a porn film. I was applying for a film that was already certified and released in South India. Maybe I went there late. But Rs 6.5 lakh for a certificate?”
Vishal also highlighted the financial struggle involved in arranging the amount and expressed concern for smaller producers who might face similar situations. He reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, urging them to take necessary actions.