HYDERABAD: While censoring of film trailers released on YouTube is still a grey area, a PIL was been filed in High Court on Thursday against the alleged abusive language and violence in a Hyderabad-based film, Tiger Sultan, that’s in the local Urdu dialect.
The writ petition was filed by one Mr K. Sekhar, a resident of Somajiguda, alleging that the makers of Tiger Sultan, scheduled for release on big screens, had uploaded the trailer on YouTube with objectionable scenes and dialogues that hurt religious sentiments.
Advocate Mr K. Manoj said that the writ petition stated: “Under the garb of using Hyderabadi Urdu dialect, they have used words like Maa Ki Kirkiri, which degrades the status of a mother. Youth and kids are attracted to these dialogues and use them. There is another phrase, Mandir ki Ghanti, that hurts religious sentiments. There is a scene depicting chain snatching training, which will instigate the youth to take up criminal activities. The trailer also depicts children as followers of the hero who would commit offences. The filmmakers have projected this film as depicting Hyderabadi culture, but it is nothing but an act of degradation. The Censor Board is not discharging its duties properly.”
The petitioner made the ministry of information and broadcasting, Central Board of Film Certification, Minar film productions ‘represented by producer cum hero Toufeeq Khan’, film director Sanjay Punjabi and script writer Salman Haider as respondents.
A CBFC source said, “The censor’s position regarding the trailer released on YouTube is still a grey area. We give censor certificate for films releasing on the silver screen and for the trailers on television. YouTube doesn’t fall under our purview. Information Technology Act is applicable to it. The word Maa ki Kirkiri is not objectionable and it has been used in the film Angrez produced from Hyderabad. We have to check whether Tiger Sultan has come to the censor.”
Meanwhile Prof. Mustafa Sarwari of MANUU said, “The word is native to the Dakhni language. Those who don’t know Dakhni dialect will not be able to differentiate. Yes, the language used in the movie is not up to the mark. However, there is nothing offensive and it just shows frustration.”
