The Central Board of Film Certification has refused to certify Malayalam Film Ka Bodyscapes for “glorifying” homosexual relationships and for showing a Muslim woman masturbating. Its director Jayan Cherian posted the letter from CBFC on Facebook and captioned it, “It is official, Mr. Pahalaj Nihalani put the final nail in my coffin!”

The CBFC in a letter said the Second Revising Committee unanimously recommended ‘Refusal’ of certificate for the film because it is “glorifying the subject of gay and homosexual relationship, nudity accentuating vital parts of male body (in paintings) in closed shots in the whole movie.” The film also offends Hindu sensibilities, and shows Lord Hanuman in “poor light as gay”, the letter said.

The film also contains derogatory remarks about women, CBFC said. “Abusive language is used in most of the places and also a female Muslim character is shown masturbating,” the letter reads.

The film had been submitted to the CBFC in Thiruvananthapuram in April last year who refused to certify it. The Revising Committee in Chennai had also refused to do it. Cherian had then approached the Kerala High Court, and in December 2016, a two-judge bench asked the CBFC to certify the film within 90 days.

The Second Revising Committee was headed by CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani, Cherian told The Indian Express. He also accused the Information and Broadcast Ministry of denying permission for the film to be screened at various film festivals.

The film revolves around the lives of three people – a gay painter Harish, a kabaddi player Vishnu, and Sia, an activist.

On February 23, the CBFC had faced backlash after it refused to certify Prakash Jha’s upcoming film, Lipstick Under My Burkha for being “lady-oriented” and depicting women’s “fantasy above life”.