Film Censorship in India
- In Politics
- 11:22 AM, Dec 09, 2015
- Ranabir Bhattacharyya
Film Censorship in India began during British Raj and continued thereafter. Film making has always been considered an integral part of freedom of the creative Indian intelligentsia. Post independence, Indian filmmakers have come up with grave social, economic and political issues onscreen, which have not only created uproar among the Indian audience but also in the international arena. Political patronage has always plagued Indian films and censorship. The recent controversy in the mainstream media with regard to the present censor board chief, Pahlaj Nihalani and the latest disapproval of intimate scenes of Daniel Craig and Monica Belucci in the recently released James Bond flick Spectre, being censored, has generated bad blood in the Indian film fraternity.
Censorship in Indian films dates back to the British regime, chiefly in 1920 when the Indian Cinematograph Act was passed and implemented. At that time autonomous regional censor boards were active, having centres at Madras, Calcutta, Lahore and Rangoon. After 1947, those regional censors were brought under Bombay Board of Film Censors. The Nehru government subsequently brought in Cinematograph Act 1952. Under this act, the Central Board of Film Censors was formed. In 1983, the existing censor board was further revised as Central Board of Film Certification. The Central Board of Film Certifications assigns censor certificates as Universal (UA), Adults (A), and Parental Guidance (V/UA) to films in India before public exhibition. The members of the Censor board have got the sole authority to assign those certificates.
One can definitely say that sex and violence remain contentious issues that film censorship institutions have to deal with. In no way can films portray pornographic content keeping in mind the basic values of life, not to speak about the religious, cultural and social sentiments. Although some may call it moral policing, almost all countries have their own censor boards to regulate films before their theatrical releases. The problem lies in the stance of the censor board jury members. Often it is seen that ruling governments get their own acquaintances at the helm of affairs in the Censor board. This not only sullies the image of this autonomous board but also puts a question mark on the credibility of such an organization of utmost importance. There is no denying the fact that Indian films garner huge revenue and it is one of those domains where FDI runs smooth and NRI and foreign audience play their part in increasing the popularity and acceptability of the mainstream and regional films of India.
Culture and aesthetics are important paradigms to films and thus it is indeed important to look at the changing patterns all over the world. Half a century ago, the country remained glued to mythological films whereas at present social satires are bringing critical social issues through onscreen characters and film plots. The maturity of the whole film fraternity needs to be ably supported by jury members of the CBFC.
The political interference with regard to film censorship is a matter of serious concern and the legacy of political interference in film censorship in India is not something new. Mrs. Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi couldn't 'tolerate' the 1977 film 'Kissa Kursi Ka'. Not only was the film banned but also, the Congressi supporters burned the master prints and all copies of the film, highlighting the emergency-prone Indian ‘decmocrazy’ in Indira Gandhi regime. Even Sanjeev Kumar- Suchitra Sen starred 'Aandhi' wasn't spared, which was then released only after Janata Party came into power. Film maestro Satyajit Ray also had to face gagging as he couldn't see release of his documentary film 'Sikkim' in his life time. Ace Director Deepa Mehta also faced the brunt of censorship with her 'Fire' and 'Water'. The 1996 film 'Fire' portrayed lesbian relationship whereas ‘Water’ evoked sensitive issues in Indian society and thus the release of both the films suffered delay and shooting locations were vandalized. The noted international chartbuster 'The Da Vinci Code' was banned in several states of India, as some Christian organizations protested against its release. Kolkata, the so called cultural capital of India also witnessed ban on 'Kangal Malsat', which was finally released after several cuts. Veteran screen legend Kamal Hassan was at the receiving end too with his 'Vishwaroopam', which managed release only after seven cuts.
The important question at this present context is, whether the CBFC can truly ban films apart from hall exhibition or not. Certainly the internet has been another vital tool where producers or directors can simply upload the film or portions of it and reach out to the global enthusiasts. Piracy becomes a norm when films are banned for no big reason at all. Even if a government wants to regulate internet servers, many of the ISPs are located abroad and existing cyber laws do not help in such situations. Not too long ago, Indian government could only request the Google authorities to remove BBC's 'India's Daughter' documentary from the You Tube which was based on 2012 Delhi gang rape of para medical student Jyoti Singh Pandey aka Nirbhaya.
It is important to acknowledge the significance of a variety of opinions, attitudes, tastes prevalent in the society today. The principal point should be a genuine practice of objectivity while disapproving certain scenes or dialogues. Ideas and cultural practices are fast changing and the Censor board ought to respect the change the world constantly goes through. Also it must be borne in mind that the film makers for whom films are vehicle of creativity and rightly so, ought to strike a balance between the emotional and aesthetic appreciation of the global audience simultaneously with the Indian film enthusiasts. Films, above all should give priority to the true human values and never surrender to the temptations of political and theological propaganda.
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