At the BJP’s national executive meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made “unnecessary comments” on “irrelevant issues” like a movie that “masks our hard work” He instead asked them to focus on the task at hand.
This is an important call in light of the fact that in the midst of trifles and unnecessary fuss, pressing national issues are ignored.
Moreover, this is also a pointer to a serious concern. It’s a battle of perceptions that Bollywood has mostly lost in the last few years.
Mumbai’s film industry is under constant storm of boycotts and bans, and the latest victim is Yash Raj Films’ big-ticket Shah Rukh Khan-starring Pathaan. Things had been on the rise for some time, even members of the Film Fraternity were sympathetic to the regime and felt the heat, and the foreign media were aware of the phenomenon. The normally taciturn Amitabh Bachchan felt compelled to speak about civil liberties and freedom of expression at the opening ceremony of the Kolkata International Film Festival. Suniel Shetty, along with his Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, made industry claims that raised eyebrows.
Industry groups have welcomed the prime minister’s statement, acknowledging it as a much-needed relief from the ongoing predicament, but skeptics like Anurag Kashyap see it as a case of too little, too late. #BoycottBollywoodForever is trending on Twitter, even in light of the prime minister’s statement. Hindu prophet Abhimukteshwaranand Saraswati established a “Dharma Censorship Board” to review Bollywood films and check for “anti-religious” content and distortion of facts regarding Sanathan’s dharma. bottom.
So there is another problem looming. Will this move protect films in the future, or will it just throw a safety net over the pattern for now? It should also be an opportunity to bring the reform of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) back to debate and debate.
In recent years, the film industry has been brought to its knees by peripheral elements, not only small filmmakers, but even stars, who seem to operate beyond the sanctity of censorship certificates and the rule of law. order the machine. The film has been threatened with banning even though it has been cleared by censorship boards. It remains vulnerable.
Karan Johar was forced to defend himself in the video for his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), aiming to cast Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in a small role. He had to bow upon the release of Wake Up Sid (2009) because he objected to using the word Bombay instead of Mumbai.
Govind Nihalani’s TV serial Tamas (1988), Hansal Mehta’s Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar!! (2000), Rahul Dholakia’s Parzania (2005), Alankrita Srivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016), Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (2018) ) have all faced mob wrath in the name of possibly unfavorable depictions of community, religion or politics..If the government of Uttar Pradesh stops Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan Traffic Signal (2007) did not appear in Himachal Pradesh. Numerous public interest lawsuits (PILs) have been filed against Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar (2008). After Vishwaroopam (2013) was stalled by the Tamil Nadu government and The Da Vinci Code (2006) banned in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Nagaland and Mizoram, The Supreme Court had to move.
Apart from warranties and insurance against Trigger Happy Fringe Group’s writ, there is also an urgent need for the long overdue restructuring of the CBFC. A key statutory body to hear appeals by filmmakers/producers who have appealed the decisions of seems to have been
The 2013 Benegal Commission and the Mukul Madgar Judges Commission had proposed moving away from censorship to an age-based rating/classification standard for films. and can go a long way in bringing that downbeat spirit back to creativity and health. Are the latest announcements just words, or are there opportunities for positive action?
namrata girls
consulting editor
