CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani is at it again. The chairman has now vowed to take strict action against filmmakers, who in a rush to undertake the process of film distribution before the release date, send off their films abroad without proper certification. Livid and armed with a long list of culpable producers, he said that the CBFC is all set to take the strongest criminal action against the practitioners of this offence. We talk to filmmakers and industry insiders about whether or not this proposed move is justified, and what the ramifications of such a measure can be.
‘A portrayal of India’s cultural heritage’
A lot goes into the CBFC’s decision regarding a movie’s verification than just strict censorship. It’s probably why releasing movies, without ensuring the edits required by the board, is not only wrong, but a very careless thing to do too. As a director, I feel it’s of primary importance to respect the law, in order to ensure the sanctity of a particular lineage of art. As for ramifications regarding rule breakers, not allowing them any sort of certification seems like the right way to go about it. This is because no matter how commercially popular the movie is abroad, at the end of the day, it is a portrayal of our nation’s cultural heritage.
– Imran Sardhariya, director
‘Every small issue is being looked at with a microscope’
First of all, no producer will be foolish to risk creating a problem for their film by means of bypassing the CBFC. They won’t take such a huge risk as there is a lot of money at stake. The distribution process of a film is the most important one as that’s what decides the viewership of the film. I think since the chairman has come into the picture, every small issue is being looked at with a microscope and minute things are being blown out of proportion. Like this issue for instance. Do you think makers would bypass norms like that? Censorship is important and there’s no two ways about it.
– Vamshi Paidipally, director
‘Difficult to ascertain if he’s ignorant or wilful’
Pahlaj Nihalani is on the wrong wicket once again. It has become difficult to ascertain whether the CBFC chief is actually ignorant or a wilful person. No film requires a certification from the parent country before a release in any international market or festival. The rules or certification of that particular country apply on the film. Has he forgotten how the CBFC under his patronage imposed further cuts on the length of the kiss in the Bond film already certified in the US? He needs to grasp that producers do not need certification from CBFC to play in international markets. His vision or lack of it does not apply to cinema and its distribution worldwide.
– Ashwini Chaudhary, filmmaker​
‘Each country has its own guidelines for screening’
It’s not easy. To curb movies screened at festivals abroad, a law needs to be brought in first. Under the current laws, the government cannot control the screening of any Indian movie in foreign countries, even if it is not certified. Similarly, each country has its own guidelines for screening; none of those require Indian CBFC certification. In India too, during film festivals, foreign movies that are banned in their homeland or do not comply with CBFC standards are screened with a go-ahead from the festival committee and a signed permission from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Rarely has the government denied screening of controversial foreign movies, that too with specific reasons. Sadly, it is becoming difficult now. Last year, for the first time in the history of International Film Festival of Kerala, the screening of Majid Majidi’s movie, Muhammad: The Messenger of God, was banned without citing any specific reason. Even if our government brings in a law, movie screening at other countries can’t be regulated.
– Dr Biju, three-time National Award-winning filmmaker
‘We’re not North Korea; a rule like this can’t exist’
What he is saying is completely unconstitutional and arbitrary. There is no such rule, there has never been such a rule in the Cinematography Act. A rule like that cannot even exist because that will amount to cultural censorship. We are not North Korea, though Nihalani would like that situation very much. We are not a country that censors dialogue with the world outside. As long as India stays democratic, I don’t think such a law should or could exist. Giving such arbitrary statements while holding such an important office is complete abuse of power. It is also abuse of the responsibility that we, the citizens of the country, have accounted him for. Such an abuse, if it goes unchecked, will only lead to dangerous situation impacting the thought and culture in this country. He should under no circumstances be making such statements, because that is also spreading a fake notion what the law is about. That should be accountable in court. We should be able to raise a lawsuit against him just for saying such things.
– Anand Gandhi, director of Ship of theseus
