The makers of 'Mandali' has slammed the censor board for not approving the trailer of the film to run in theatres and broadcast channels and constantly delaying the same, even though the film has passed the U/A certificate. This has resulted in a huge loss to the makers in terms of marketing, since the film is slated to release on October 27, and the trailer is restricted to social media platforms, resulting in less reach to the masses. It stars Rajniesh Duggall, Brijendra Kala, Aanchal Munjal, Abhishek Duhan, and Vineet Kumar among others.
Directed by Rakesh Chaturvedi Om, 'Mandali' revolves around the exploitation of Ramleela play by incorporating obscene dances in between them in small towns. Produced by Prashant Kumar Gupta, Geetika Gupta and Neetu Sabarwal, the film also stars an ensemble cast of Ashwath Bhatt, Kanwaljeet Singh, Alka Amin, Saharsh Shukla and Neeraj Sood.
Producer Prashant Kumar Gupta in his statement said, "We submitted everything to the censor board well in advance, 15 to 20 days prior to its scheduled release date. However, we are yet to hear back from them regarding the trailer approval despite multiple follow-ups and visit to their office, even though the film has already passed the U/A certificate. We are only 7 days away from release and it's highly disappointing because the film's subject is very important and relevant, and it needs to spread through promotion which we are not able to do full-fledged. We want to reach more and more audiences through promos since it's a tribute to Lord Ram and releasing in Dusshera week. It is highly disappointing to see such negligence towards independent films."
Rakesh Chaturvedi Om added, "I went to their office and sat for five to six hours at the reception, after which they informed that they will revert with a concrete solution within 24 to 48 hours. Despite all my efforts, there has been no response till now resulting into delay. The irony is that they have passed the film but haven't passed the trailer till now, even though they've already seen it."
Mandali mirrors the journey of a man and his struggle to uphold righteousness in times of diminishing social conscience and downfall of cultural and traditional values through the protagonist Pursottam Choubey aka Puru. He is an artist who plays the role of Lord Laxman in Ramleela (A musical stage performance in the heartland of India, based on Hindu Scripture, Ramayana) and considers it bigger than his life; breaks down badly while fighting against the evils that degrade its sanctity, but with the strength of his faith rises again like a phoenix from the ashes to keep his dream/passion alive.
